


A Sky Full of Stars

by codevassie



Series: Stars and Superheroes [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Secret Identity, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-03-10 10:39:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 63,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13500168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codevassie/pseuds/codevassie
Summary: Lance's life is hectic between his civilian and superhero identities - that is, until his soulmate and a new villain arrive to town on the same day. What's more, this villain seems to have a few secrets of his own and it's possible that, whoever is behind that mask, may not be who he claims to be. Lance is determined to figure out just who this Red Paladin is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A Sky Full of Stars by: Coldplay

“You use him for… this,” Blue says from behind him. Keith can't help but relax at the voice as it slowly, excruciatingly, pulled at his heart. “Why?”

 

“It's a very long story,” Keith tells the sunset, knowing he had until the time the dark descended to remain civil. He actually liked being civil with Blue. That much was probably a given by then. He'd miss this.

 

“I've got time,” Blue prompted, walking forward and stepping up on the ledge he was sitting on. He looked down and Keith met those impossibly blue eyes. Eyes to go with the name.

 

“Well, I don't,” Keith said, jerking his gaze away. His shoulders hiked up, on the defensive.

 

“Red,” Blue said. “Talk to me.”

 

“Lance, I _can't_ ,” Keith pleaded for his understanding, but stopped when he heard Blue’s breath catch. They both were as still as the street signs below, littered between the slow evening stragglers. It was the first time either of them had acknowledged it out loud. Somehow, it only made it feel more final to Keith.

 

The sun was growing lower. The skies were painted oranges and purples. Stars began peeking out from the sky.

 

Blue sat down. Lance turned toward him. He took his hand. “Keith, please.”

 

Hearing his name from Blue’s mouth caused something in him to break then. Keith couldn't look over though. He knew Lance's face would only cause his resolve to weaken.

 

Instead, Keith continued to watch the sky. The oranges were disappearing and the blues and stars became more prevalent. Keith blinked at a familiar constellation above.

 

“There’s something you forgot to say about Leo when you first showed me,” he noted, gesturing toward the faint collection of stars. Lance looked up and chuckled.

 

“That it was a hint to my _secret identity_?”

 

“That it’s your zodiac,” Keith said instead. Lance looked over, surprise on his face. “It’s something about you. The you I got to know.”

 

“I’m still me,” Lance said and Keith nodded.

 

“I know that,” he said and his eyes grew sad, still staring up at those nine stars. He knew there were many more stars to the constellation, but even those main nine were faint above the city. He had associated those stars with Lance and now it felt like it was fading away. “But I won’t have the opportunity to know this side of you.”

 

“Keith-” Lance protested, but Keith shook his head.

 

“I don't know what you want from me,” was what he said. And it was the truth, despite Lance having told him to _talk_. Keith couldn't do that. There wasn't anything Keith could do anymore.

 

“Tell me what's going on. Let me help you,” Lance pleaded and, suddenly, Keith stiffened. Help him... No one could help him.

 

Keith stood and Lance's hand followed his, not letting go. “What's going on is clear enough, I think.” Then, he looked toward the skyline and saw, with a settled, helpless kind of feeling, the sun was gone and the light had dissipated from the sky. Subconsciously, he squeezed Lance's hand tighter, afraid to let go as well.

 

“You wouldn't do this. I _know_ you, Keith. There's something else. Tell me,” Lance implored, pulling at his hand, trying to get Keith to look at him again. Keith refused, watching the sky. A fear tugged at his heart as he shook his head.

 

He slackened his grip and heard a sound of surprise from Lance, who held tighter. Keith swallowed.

 

“Keith, what are you doing?” Lance asked, fear in his own voice. Keith hated it. Blue was fearless. He had faced him countless times, head on, unafraid. Always putting others before himself. And Keith had known Lance was brave too, even before the whole Blue thing. It didn’t take a superhero to have courage.

 

Lance shouldn’t sound so scared. Not because of Keith. Not for him.

 

Keith stepped away, shaking off Lance's hand. Lance made a noise of protest and tried to follow after again, but Keith took another step back.

 

Lance jumped to his feet. “Keith-”

 

“Take care, Lance,” Keith said.

 

“No,” Lance said, stepping closer. “No! No, Keith, please-”

 

Finally, Keith looked up. His eyes struck blue and he almost broke completely. Tears sprung into his eyes and he shook his head.

 

Keith, against every nerve in his body, smiled. Lance deserved a smile. He deserved to know that it wasn't his fault. He deserved so much more than this.

 

Keith tried to be selfless like all the times Lance had been selfless for him.

 

“Goodbye, Lance,” Keith nearly whispered.

 

Then, Red was there and Keith hopped on. They both tore through the sky, leaving Lance behind.

 

-/-

 

_Six Months Earlier..._

 

Lance McClain couldn't keep a job to save his life. It was kind of impossible when he was constantly on call as one of the heroes of Altea.

 

Sure, Lance loved being the Blue Paladin. Beating up the bad guys and saving the day. Parades, beautiful people, glory. He was meant to defend this city and no job would ever change his mind.

 

Still, it was starting to get really annoying when paying for things like rent or food came into play. Voltron _did_ pay him, but not nearly enough. Their organization didn't actually have a lot of income since they saved Altea for free and all.

 

Lance couldn't fathom a day where Voltron might stoop to _that_ level. His grievance only laid with his rep as a civilian. No one really liked employees who randomly ducked out of their job throughout the day and came back, if at all, disheveled and bruised. It didn't make for the best impression on possible employers to look through his short-lived jobs or to hear the many accounts from his references of his sub-par presence.

 

Usually, Lance could get off with some of his unexplainable tendencies with a great work ethic. When he was at work, he gave it his absolute all. Like at his current job where he made the best coffee and had the best customer service. His boss really liked him, though, recently, he had been frustrated with Lance’s tendency to dip out.

 

Lance often wondered what it'd be like if they knew who he really was. They would surely understand. He definitely wouldn't have the reputation that he did now. But that was the irony of the thing, he supposed. The great, cruel joke the universe played on him. Behind the mask, all he was was Lance, that one unreliable guy from work.

 

It was surprising today that Lance got off at his normal break time. It seemed that nothing had gone wrong with the city, though he was still wary.

 

Despite his caution, Lance was still enjoying his day. Sure, nothing topped a day of saving the city and kicking crime’s butt, but a normal day every once in awhile was awesome too.

 

It made it even better when Lance walked out of the sandwich shop he had just gotten lunch at to almost run into one very attractive man. When the guy looked up, having paused quite abruptly from his determined stride to eye Lance up and down, he was so close that Lance couldn't help the words that slipped from his mouth.

 

“Your eyes are purple,” he gasped, whilst practically falling into said eyes. The violet eyes widened and the guy stepped back.

 

“Did you just-” he said, but was interrupted when another pedestrian passed by on the busy sidewalk. Lance's eyebrows scrunched down and he tilted his head. Why did that sound so familiar…

 

“Um, I've got to, uh,” the guy said and he dug around in the pocket of his jeans, “Go,” he snatched a pen out and uncapped it with his teeth, taking Lance's arm and pushing up the sleeve. He paused, smiling slightly at something, then jotted something down on Lance’s skin. When he capped the pen again and looked up, he breathed out. “Call me, okay?”

 

Lance was still a bit dazed, wondering what the hell was going on, but nodded his head. The guy mirrored him with a nod and began to make his way around Lance before stopping.

 

“I'm Keith, by the way,” he said, to which Lance wasn't sure if he responded or not. Keith smiled again, and Lance felt himself falling for that too. Before he could say anything else though, Keith was gone.

 

Lance watched his retreating figure, mouth agape and eyes confused, for a lot longer than he'd care to admit.

 

Had he just gotten some random guy’s number with only a few words? He hadn't even flirted with the guy! He'd barely done anything!

 

Still gaping, Lance looked down at his arm, just to make sure it really was the guy's - Keith's - number and this wasn't all one big prank. Before he could catch the number though, his eyes landed on something else.

 

_Did you just-_

 

His soulmark.

 

“My soulmark…” Lance said aloud, just in case his thoughts weren't enough. “My soulmark… my soul _mate_.”

 

Between trying to maintain a job for once in his life and saving the city, Lance had barely had the time lately to even think about his soulmark lately. But now…

 

Lance spun around him, knowing what he would find yet deciding to search anyway.

 

He couldn't find Keith anywhere in the crowd.

 

“Keith…” he said, the name slipping off his tongue beautifully.

 

It was in a daze that Lance walked back to work along the streets of Altea, every now and again looking at the numbers on his forearm and searching the crowds of people out for the lunch rush. He wondered where Keith had had to go so quickly. Did he have a job in the city as well? Was his lunch break almost over? Had he been as surprised as Lance was to find him?

 

Going by his expressions when he had heard Lance utter ‘Your eyes are purple,’ Lance would go with yes.

 

When Lance walked back into the cafe and tied his apron over his chest, it was like a dream when he took the first person’s order at the counter. Could he call Keith tonight?

 

Then, right on cue, a loud BANG sounded from a few streets over and Lance's mind cleared completely. Everyone in the shop looked shocked, heads swiveling to the windows, but Lance was already on the move. He doubted the shock would last for long with all the stuff that goes down in that city, so he had to take advantage of it while he could.

 

He slipped out of the shop, undetected, and ran.

 

-/-

 

Finding a spot to change was always a real hassle, even with the awesome tech Pidge and Hunk had rigged up to change in and out of their armor easily. Usually, Lance settled with the restrooms at the public park, no matter how awkward it was to walk out to the wide-eyed looks of pedestrians.

 

Lance couldn't choose the same place over and over, or someone might eventually notice, but usually the park was pretty safe.

 

Besides, with Blue’s help, he could go undetected with her awesome cloaking abilities.

 

“Come on, Blue,” Lance grinned as said lion walked alongside him out of the public restroom. “I've wasted enough time already. Let's go punch Lotor in the jaw. At least, I hope it's Lotor. I'm up for a challenge today.”

 

There were a lot of villains in Altea, but the most notorious were the Galra. Lotor was one of them and, actually, one of the higher ups too. Usually their higher ups, Zarkon, Haggar, stayed put in wherever their allusive headquarters were, but Lotor liked the action. It had been awhile since he'd seen the guy though, so those down at Voltron HQ had started to think the Galra were up to something.

 

Lance hopped onto Blue’s back and the lion jumped into the air, flying them right toward the commotion a few streets away. Lance didn't expect any of his teammates to be there, what, with them being out of the city and all, so he was ready for a solo fight.

 

What he wasn't ready for, though, was touchdowning on the roof of a bank to find an unfamiliar face.

 

Or, really, an unfamiliar mask.

 

It covered the guy’s whole face, and the parts that glowed must not only have been for style, but so he could see and breath. It matched his black and grey and purple suit and the hood draped over his head.

 

“Who's _this_ guy?” Lance asked Blue incredulously, only receiving a growl in return. She was suspicious of the guy, but also confused. Lance didn't have time to wonder why, though.

 

“Great,” the guy said, snapping Lance's attention away from his lion. “First time out and I get a Paladin.”

 

“First time’s gonna be your last time, buddy. Stealing from banks is not only cliche as hell, but illegal in these parts.”

 

“Yeah, I think I get that,” the guy replied, slinging the duffle bag he was holding over his shoulders, and lowering his stance. Great, the guy wanted a fight. Just what Lance needed today: to fight some newby villain who thought they were hot stuff.

 

“Come on, dude. You don't want to fight,” Lance said, always one for diplomacy if he could. The guy paused, but the emotionless mask kind of unnerved Lance. He could have been looking into his soul for all he knew. Did this guy have any powers?

 

Lance did not have powers. He did have Voltron and Blue though, which were powerful enough. Still, facing guys with legit powers always was such a hassle.

 

The guy produced a knife. Lance sighed, both in relief and irritation. Seriously, man? A knife?

 

Lance pulled out his Bayard. He had a long-range weapon, but, having faced so many short-range people, he'd gotten used to using all sorts of techniques. When the gun formed from the dormant handle, Lance aimed, only to have the guy right on him already.

 

Lance dodged, swinging back around to aim again. He had a quick aim, but this guy seemed even faster. He had to dodge again and dropped his gun back down to its inactive shape. Quickly, he took the guy's wrist during his next slash, twisted, and the blade was dropped.

 

Then, the guy swiped his feet under Lance, surprisingly, knocking him off his feet. The air left Lance's lungs in one big gust, but he didn't stay down for long.

 

Another surprise came when Lance stood up, though. The guy was running away. Right toward the edge of the roof.

 

“Blue!” Lance shouted, and his lion was already on it. Her tackle was quick and swift and she pinned the guy to the roof with two sharp claws. Lance ran up and found her sniffing the guy as he struggled to escape.

 

_Weird._

 

Her voice echoed in his head and the impressions of what she was trying to say sank into his brain. She was talking about the smell. Something about the guy was off.

 

The guy probably had powers. Lance made sure to act with care when Blue inevitably had to stop pinning him so Lance could bring out the cuffs. It was the type of thing he usually let the police do, but, if someone was powerful enough, they had handcuffs on them just in case.

 

Lance was so focused on this guy that he didn't notice something over the ledge of the roof - the side the guy had just been about to jump over. Not until it roared right in their faces.

 

_Red._

 

Blue purred in his ears, mind full of shock and relief and a thousand other emotions. Lance couldn't believe his eyes either.

 

There, right at the edge of the roof and baring his teeth at them, was the Red Lion.

 

Their shock lasted just long enough for the guy to push them off and sprint down the roof.

 

“Shit!” Lance exclaimed and started to run after him. It was too late though. The guy jumped onto the Red Lion and turned back to probably sneer under that mask.

 

“Guess it won't be my last time,” he said with a wave. “Maybe I'll see you around.”

 

Then, they were gone, having flown off with Lance and Blue left behind, utterly baffled at the scene that had occured before them.

 

“That was the Red Lion,” Lance said, to himself or Blue he didn't know.

 

Neither he nor Blue took their eyes off of the horizon for a long time after that.

 

-/-

 

Lance didn't go back to work after that fight. Instead, he went straight to Voltron HQ.

 

“Allura?” Lance called as he entered her office. She looked up from her computer, a bit glassy-eyed, showing she had been working for a long time.

 

“Lance? What is it?” She asked, getting up. She could probably tell something was off right away.

 

“I- I don't know,” Lance tried to explain. “You won't believe me though.”

 

Allura raised an eyebrow at that and motioned for him to sit. Lance explained the whole thing then.

 

“Impossible,” Allura said immediately after. “The Red Lion would never choose someone with such villainous intentions. None of the lions would.”

 

“But she did! I saw her. _Blue_ saw her! The Red Lion is working with some guy in a glowy purple mask who just robbed a bank today.”

 

At this, Allura paused. “Did you just say 'glowy purple mask’?”

 

“Yeah,” Lance said. “It covered his whole face. Well, I think it was a guy. Their body and voice kinda hinted toward it, though I don't like to assume…” Lance scratched the back of his neck before he realized he was getting off topic.

 

“This can't be good,” Allura said, drumming her fingers on the desk. Lance knew why. Ever since he had seen the guy, his whole deal had seemed much too familiar to some other villains he had faced in the past.

 

“Do you think he's Galra?” Lance asked.

 

“It's possible. But if the Galra have a lion on their side…” Allura trailed off. The implications were more than enough though.

 

“Then we've got to stop him,” Lance said finally.

 

-/-

 

Voltron had been around a lot longer than most people could remember. The thing was, it had been out of use for a lot of that time.

 

The city of Altea had succumbed to crime during those days. Much of that tyranny had come from the Galra, who has had quite an empire in their day. About five years ago, though, Voltron had put a stop to many of the criminals at large. It had just been a couple of college kids at first. He and Hunk and Pidge had had no idea what they were doing when Shiro and Allura and Coran had recruited them. But the lions had chosen them and so _they_ had chosen to defend their city.

 

Voltron made up of five individuals, selected by the lions who gave them the power to protect. The Black Lion had chosen Shiro, long ago, before Lance had known about Voltron or that that kid at his school was his literal hero, the only hero in those days in Altea.

 

Then, he, Pidge, and Hunk had stumbled upon the building where Allura kept all of her father's old inventions. And there were a lot of them.

 

That's where the Yellow Lion had picked Hunk. The Green Lion picked Pidge. And the Blue Lion had picked Lance.

 

There were four paladins now, but the fifth lion had never shown up with his paladin and so everyone had thought he was lost. They could not technically be Voltron without the fifth paladin, but they were still enough to hold the city at bay - to help those in need.

 

But then Pidge had gotten a lead in finding their brother, Matt. So they had gone to find him, leaving Altea.

 

Then, a neighboring city, Balmera, had hit hard times and Hunk had gone to help.

 

Then Shiro had disappeared. Just gone. No one knew where he was. If he had been taken. If he was in trouble. And the Black Lion couldn't be found to give answers.

 

Lance had been taking care of this city with Allura and Coran for about a year now, but it was difficult when Allura and Coran could not help directly. At times, Lance felt completely alone in this city.

 

He had wondered if they'd ever find the Red Lion. Recently, Lance had thought it would be a big help to find the fifth paladin. It was a dream come true to all of them - not only the paladins, or Allura and Coran, but the entire city.

 

Now, it was simply a nightmare.

 

Now, it was possible that Voltron’s last piece, their greatest weapon, had fallen into their greatest enemy’s hands.

 

-/-

 

Lance was so preoccupied with this new villain that he almost forgot about the other notable part of his day. What should have been the _most_ notable since he'd been waiting for this day his whole life, if it hadn't been for the shock of seeing the Red Lion. Lance had only ever heard stories of him and, yeah, he looked like any of the other lions really, but, after a buildup like that, it was hard to not be impressed.

 

And scared.

 

But his soulmate. That was something that everyone dreamed of since they were old enough to grasp what those words on their arms meant. This was a huge fucking deal.

 

So why was it that he'd nearly forgotten about it until his shower that night when he'd almost washed the number completely away?

 

“Oh shit!” he cursed, snatching his soapy hand away and frantically watching inky water pour down his arm. It was smudging.

 

“Shit shit shit!” He yelled, scrambling to get out, soap and all. He'd get back in later. This was more important.

 

With nothing but a towel around his waist, Lance scurried around his apartment, blowing at his arm to dry the ink as best he could. He searched frantically for a pen and paper. Or pencil? Marker?? Chalk??? Anything would do at this point!

 

In the end, Lance didn't have to go as far as chalk, finding a red tipped marker in his drawer of various things in the kitchen. He jotted down the numbers and sighed, holding it in front of him.

 

A smile played on his lips again at the memory. Keith. That was his soulmate’s name. And he had purple eyes, or what looked like it. Black hair that was long at the back. Pale, ethnic features. He had looked so defensive when Lance had run into him, but so flustered after he'd spoken.

 

Lance probably would have been flustered too if he had remembered why his words sounded so familiar.

 

“I probably should have just put these in my phone,” Lance commented, but he liked the look of the number on the paper. Something he could keep forever - more permanent than a contact in a log of other numbers.

 

Lance wanted to call. Was it too late? A look at the clock showed it was almost nine. Was that okay? Would Keith be busy? Or even awake? It was early by most standards, but Lance knew nothing about his soulmate.

 

“My soulmate,” Lance said, liking the sound of it in his voice just as much as in his head.

 

Lance decided he would figure it out after he finished showering, that which he bolted through and went straight for his phone after throwing on soft and comfortable pajamas.

 

He stared at it for a whole two seconds, debating, before shaking his head and punching in the numbers. He knew he had already made up his mind long before finishing his shower.

 

When his thumb hit Call, his heart stopped in his chest. He hadn't even thought this through! His thumb had just moved and- and now- what if he wasn't awake? What if he was at a late shift at work? What if he was in the middle of his favorite show and Lance had just ruined the most crucial part of the season by calling and-

 

“Hello?” A voice came online, and Lance thought his heart was going to make its way into his throat until he vomited it up.

 

He cleared his throat and breathed. He could do this.

 

“H-hey,” he stuttered and Lance wanted to hang up right then and there. Instead, he persisted. “Is this Keith?”

 

“Yes,” was the response. The guy sounded nervous and hopeful all at once.

 

“It's Lance.”

 

There was a silence across the line and Lance waited. Eventually, the guy said, “Um…” and it hit him.

 

“Oh, um, your soulmate,” Lance clarified and everything went still at those words. Lance actually felt like vomiting now. He squeaked out one last attempt at salvaging the conversation. “You gave me your number today?”

 

At that, Keith seemed to come alive again, scrambling for his own words. “R-right! Hey… Lance.”

 

He said the name so carefully, with such uncertainty. Like it would disappear the moment it reached his lips. Lance loved it and knew he would love every iteration of it. He wanted the name to grow confidant on those lips. Wanted to hear it a thousand times over.

 

“Hey…” Lance breathed out, smiling like an absolute idiot.

 

They went silent and awkward again, but Lance figured neither of them minded this time. It was kind of comfortable, in the most awkward of ways. It was them both taking the time to really absorb what was happening.

 

When Lance opened his mouth again, Keith beat him to the punch. After that, conversation flowed more readily between the two, despite being flustered idiots the whole time.

 

They talked only for about ten minutes before they hung up and Lance leaned back in his bed, staring at the ceiling as his wet hair soaked his pillow. Placing the phone directly on his face and balancing it there, Lance carefully flopped his arms out and whisper-screamed to the ceiling.

 

-/-

 

A week later brought a handful of hero jobs, a whole bunch of hours clocked as a barista at the cafe he still had a job at (hell yeah!), and a certain new text conversation that had slowly taken over his life.

 

**Keith** : coke or pepsi

 

Lance kept sneaking looks at his phone under the register’s counter and sniggering. It was a wonder how he hadn't been caught yet.

 

Someone cleared their voice. Lance had thought too soon.

 

“Sorry about that, sir,” he said, shoving his phone in his pocket and shooting an amiable grin toward the customer. “What can I get you?”

 

As the guy spewed his complicated order, Lance had to put all of his focus into getting it right, despite the very distracting feeling of buzzing against his leg. There was only one buzz, one text, but it was enough to leave Lance wondering.

 

After whipping up the coffee and giving it to the man, Lance was able to take a look.

 

**Keith** : cause this is some serious shit lance

 

Lance smiled down at the words and quickly sent his life or death answer. He wondered what Keith's response would be.

 

**Lance** : pepsi usually though i dont really taste a difference

 

**Keith** : you cannot be my soulmate

 

**Keith** : you can't be serious lance. please tell me you're joking

 

**Lance** : what ws i wrong???

 

**Keith** : on a thousand different levels

 

**Keith** : for one, coke is obviously superior. no debate

 

**Lance** : uh huh...

 

**Keith** : for another

 

**Keith** : you can't tell a difference?!?

 

**Keith** : how?? in what universe?!

 

Lance snorted and rolled his eyes. Leave it to Keith to care so passionately about soda brands. How the hell had Lance thought this guy was any sort of normal a week ago was beyond him.

 

**Lance** : o just dont!!! its not like I spend my days comparing the two swishing it in a wine glass for the proper taste experience

 

**Keith** : you don't have to put a lot of effort into it. it should come naturally when something as horrible as pepsi hits your tongue

 

**Keith** : your taste buds must be broken

 

**Lance** : are not!! my taste buds are at peak performance. besides /you/ eat ramen and strawberry poptarts for every meal so i think if one of us has broken taste its you

 

**Keith** : one, I don't eat them for every meal. another, there's nothing wrong with ramen and strawberry poptarts

 

Lance was about to type out his reply when another customer walked up. This order was a lot easier to make than the last one, but, by the time he was done and slipped his phone back out, he had another text from Keith.

 

**Keith** : shit gtg text you later

 

And that was it. Lance sighed and pocketed the phone again. He leaned on the counter, having nothing else to do except maybe clean which, no. He wondered what Keith was up to. Was it work? Shit, Lance still didn't even know what the guy did.

 

More customers came and went while Keith was away and Lance finally caved and decided to wipe the counters and unoccupied tables. His coworker, Florona, was texting on her own phone behind the counter and giggling at something on the screen.

 

It wasn't long until Lance got another text, which he hastily fumbled to get to. When he opened it up, he was disappointed to find it was not from Keith at all.

 

**Allura** : convenience store on 32nd street

 

Lance’s brow furrowed and he nodded at the screen, as if someone would actually see the action. Then, he ran up to the counter.

 

“Florona, think you could cover for me?”

 

Florona looked up, confusion knitting her brow. She was a nice girl, but Lance had done this to her probably way too many times in the time he had worked there.

 

She sighed and gave him a ‘done with your shit, McClain’ look, waving him off. “Go ahead.”

 

“Thank you. You're a lifesaver!” Lance stayed long enough for her to know he really meant it, a small smile coming to her face, before he bolted.

 

Park restrooms here he comes.

 

-/-

 

That week, Lance hadn't had anymore run ins with the Red Lion nor his paladin. Lance wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel about that.

 

On the one hand, his curiosity wouldn't leave him. He had heard so much about Red, being the lion Allura’s father had bonded with, so he knew a lot about him. He was temperamental and wielded fire. He picked paladins only if they proved themselves to him and accepted no less than his specific standards.

 

It made it very curious how he could have picked someone working for Zarkon and the Galra. Lance wanted to know why… or how. Maybe they had tricked Red into it somehow.

 

Blue grumbled at the thought, making her stance on the issue very clear. Red would never do anything he didn't want to do.

 

“So, what then?” Lance demanded from her back, as they flew toward 32nd. “He just betrayed Voltron?”

 

Blue’s offense hit him but Lance crossed his arms over his chest, not backing down. He prodded again, demanding what the hell Blue thought had happened. Lance trusted her. If she had an answer, it was probably the right one.

 

But she didn't. Or, if she did, she didn't give it. All he felt from her was a reluctance and that was enough for Lance to back off.

 

“Fine,” he grumbled to himself. They flew closer to the convenience store and Lance continued his own line of thought.

 

Then, there was the other side of things. The side that wanted as far away as possible from this… Red Paladin. The side that was afraid of facing someone who really should have been on _their_ side. Someone who could match his powers in a way that was scary.

 

Lance could face someone with powers that superseded his or any number of unknowns, but something like this, facing another person with a lion’s powers and capabilities, there was something undeniably _wrong_ about it.

 

He didn't know what he would prefer to face at that convenience store today. He hadn't known the answer to that question when facing all the criminals and villains he had taken on in the past week. Each and every time, there was a relief as well as a disappointment when it never was lion or paladin.

 

Today was the same. Lance took down the man holding up the convenience store in no time at all, brushing off his hands after handing the guy to the cops and boarding Blue to fly away. Maybe he'd still have time to make it back to the cafe before anyone noticed Florona covering him.

 

While Blue was getting him back to the park, Lance checked his phone, pleasantly surprised to see a text from Keith.

 

**Keith** : back. sorry about that

 

**Lance** : no prob. something at work?

 

Keith didn't respond back immediately. Maybe he had put his phone down somewhere. Whatever the case, Lance was locking the stall door in the park’s restroom when his phone finally buzzed.

 

**Keith** : just knocked a bunch of stuff over while unpacking

 

Oh yeah. Keith had mentioned that he'd just moved to Altea, hadn't he?

 

**Lance** : oh

 

“Wow, smooth, Lance,” he mumbled to himself and tapped the side of his phone with his finger. He decided to put the phone down on the toilet paper dispenser while he changed.

 

His armor wasn't too difficult to get in and out of, but it was definitely too bulky to keep under his clothes. He had his helmet, which was definitely hard to conceal under normal circumstances, then there were the various pieces and plates across his arms, legs, and chest.

 

The only part that would be easy to hide under his clothes would be the black bodysuit under it all, but that also had to go during the day because it went up to his neck and went down to his fingers as gloves.

 

It all used to be the biggest of bitches to get out of, but then Pidge made this weird gadgety thing and… yeah. Now Lance could just get off all the important bits and leave the rest to the thingy majig.

 

So Lance pulled off his helmet, which was tinted like crazy to keep his identity hidden, and pressed a panel concealed on the inside. Instantly, it shrunk down to Barbie size.

 

Lance put it on the toilet seat and started with the rest of his armor. Once he got down to the suit, it was time for the real magic. Though Pidge hated when he called science magic.

 

Try telling him what science could do this though.

 

So he pulled down the zipper at the back and the suit started to retract. The seams unraveled from the hands and feet, making the fabric mobile enough to shrink. Then, it shrunk down and up and all over the place. Wherever the cloth needed to go. The arms shrunk up to his torso. The legs shriveled until they'd reached the tops of his thighs. Finally, the neck, against all sense of anything, reached down to a semi-normal neckline.

 

If this wasn't magic, then Lance wanted to know what was.

 

Pulling his bag from the corner of the stall where he'd stashed it, Lance retrieved his normal clothes and stuffed his armor in. After zipping it up and slinging it around his back, Lance picked up his phone and left the stall. He checked his messages as he left, counting on Blue to conceal him on the way out.

 

**Keith** : hey so we haven't seen each other since that first day

 

Lance's heart stopped and so did his feet. Blue’s curiosity and concern brushed his mind, but Lance was too focused on the message at the moment.

 

It had come in two minutes ago. Two whole minutes that Lance could have known this and been over the moon that much sooner. He should reply. But how could he in this state of paralysis? It felt like he was stuck to the concrete like one of the statues that littered the park around them.

 

Then, another message.

 

**Keith** : i mean, we don't have to anytime soon. being soulmates doesn't mean we have to take things quickly. or really at all. we don't actually have to do anything about it

 

Lance yelped as if he had been stung and quickly went about tapping out his own response.

 

**Lance** : no! of course i want to see you! when did you have in mind?

 

**Keith** : how's saturday? maybe we can grab lunch?

 

**Lance** : cool i know this place off 31st. i’ll send you the address?

 

**Keith** : yeah that'd be great

 

**Lance** : awesome then its a date

 

Lance hit send before he could think twice about it. He sucked in a wind of breath, waiting for the reply.

 

**Keith** : yeah *it's* a date

 

Lance breathed, an uncontrollable smile taking over his face.

 

**Lance** : wOW thanks keith

 

**Keith** : no problem lance

 

**Keith** : so i guess i’ll see you then

 

**Lance** : yeah. see you saturday

 

“Wow,” Lance sighed down at his phone. Blue purred in inquiry and Lance looked over, grin breaking any composure he could have attempted. “I've got a date.”

 

A surge of pride and joy radiated from Blue. Lance continued in their walk, remembering that he was still standing in the middle of the park while Blue was expending probably too much energy making sure he wasn't seen. He caught up to Blue and scratched her behind the ear.

 

“I've got a date with my soulmate.”

 

-/-

 

“So you've got a date with him? Way to go, man!”

 

“Yeah, you know I'm a smooth motherfucker. No way he could resist this,” Lance boasted, dusting his shoulders in show. Hunk rolled his eyes, but his smile was telling in how excited he was for his friend.

 

“So you asked him?”

 

“Well, uh,” Lance looked away from the computer screen, “Not exactly.”

 

“He asked you,” Hunk concluded.

 

“Okay, yes. So he asked me out. Big deal; I would have eventually,” Lance pouted, despite Hunk’s chuckles pulling a grin from him.

 

“I get it, man. Besides, you picked the place, right?”

 

“Yeah!” Lance perked up. “He's totally gonna love it. It's that burger joint off 31st.”

 

“Oh! That place has great fries,” Hunk said and Lance nodded enthusiastically.

 

“Yeah, and milkshakes. And I think-” Lance’s elaboration was cut off then by the sound of his phone. His heart picked up speed.

 

“Ooo,” Hunk teased, though it sounded way more excited and less evil than Pidge’s teasing. “Is that him?”

 

“I don't know. Let me check,” Lance crawled across his bed to reach the phone. Once he'd snatched it up, he retreated back and settled in front of the computer. “Nope. It's Allura. I got to go.”

 

“Good luck, buddy. Go kick butt,” Hunk said before Lance smiled and nodded.

 

“You know it,” Lance shot double finger guns at his friend, but, before he could log off, Hunk chimed in again.

 

“And, one more thing.”

 

Lance paused, looking up and tilting his head. “Yeah?”

 

Hunk took a breath and bit his lip. Lance knew in that moment what was coming.

 

“Any word on Shiro?”

 

Lance looked down at his knuckles that were settled into his lap. He shook his head.

 

“No. Sorry, buddy.”

 

Hunk’s voice was a lot softer, though Lance didn't look up to see his face. “That's alright. You'll call me later to talk more about this soulmate of yours, right?”

 

Lance looked back up and smiled gratefully at his friend. “Yep. You will have to pay me to stop talking about him. I will talk your ears off.”

 

“Looking forward to it.”

 

Lance shot his friend another smile. “Alright. I'll see you, man,” Lance waved and Hunk said his last goodbyes before shutting off. Lance sighed and looked at the text again.

 

**Allura** : burke’s labs on 43rd

 

**Lance** : got ya

 

Lance turned off the phone and grabbed his bag. He was in his own apartment, so no need for the park restroom now, thankfully.

 

Once he was ready, he stepped out onto the apartment’s balcony just as Blue came to rest on the railing. Lance rolled his eyes. “Pssh. What, do you think you're a bird now?”

 

Blue threw him an affronted expression and leapt down. Lance laughed. It truly was funny when Blue wasn’t only a lion, but bigger than most lions as well. The sight of an overgrown blue luminescent lion perched on the skinny iron railing of his balcony was too absurd _not_ to laugh at.

 

“Alright,” Lance said, stifling his laughter. “Let's go.”

 

So he and Blue flew off down the streets again.

 

-/-

 

The closer they got to their destination, the more apprehensive Blue became.

 

Lance pet her neck in an attempt at comfort. “What's wrong, girl?”

 

_Red._

 

Lance's motions stopped as he looked down at her. Red. Red was there. He swallowed and looked ahead.

 

“Okay.”

 

They approached more cautiously than usual, descending on the roof of the lab carefully and looking about.

 

“He must still be inside,” Lance murmured and Blue purred in agreement, still as wary as their approach. “Stay up here. Okay? In case he escapes up here somehow.”

 

Another purr and Lance hopped from her back. He made his way across the roof stealthily but quickly, finding the door to the inside with ease. No alarms went off when he entered, a clear indicator that something was amiss.

 

The halls were dark, illuminated only by the emergency lights, green and red and eery dim white. Lance traversed the place for a while, honestly having no clue where to hunt down the guy. It was by mere coincidence when he came across an ajar door.

 

“Just another day as a superhero of Altea,” Lance whispered to himself, approaching the door. It's funny how people thought he actually knew what he was doing in situations like this. Usually the action was easy to spot, so this whole search thing wasn’t exactly his forte.

 

Lance peered into the room and spotted him. He was zipping up a bag. Eh, only one thing he could do then.

 

Lance burst into the room.

 

“Sup.”

 

The guy paused, looking up. He sighed like he had the last time Lance had shown up. “Great.”

 

“Yeah, I am pretty great,” Lance said, walking forward casually. Going by the way the guy’s eyes followed him, he wasn't falling for it. He pulled his knife from his belt and Lance put up his hands innocently. “Woah. Can't we talk about this, Red?”

 

He scoffed. “I'm not Red. She is,” he said, jerking his head to the side. Lance looked and, sure enough, the Red Lion stood not far off, narrowed eyes trained on Lance.

 

“I tell the papers the same thing, but do they listen?” Lance said, shrugging. “So what do you want me to call you if not Red, Red?”

 

“Preferably nothing,” was the response and Lance made a show of frowning before realizing the guy couldn't see past his mask.

 

“That's gonna be awkward, though I guess I won't have much use of a name when you're hauled off to jail.”

 

Red shifted his weight, pulling his duffle bag, the same one from the bank, Lance noticed, and tossing it to his lion. “Don't be too sure, Blue.” Lance couldn't see his face, but his voice sounded much too smug for Lance's taste.

 

“How come you get to use my name? Doesn't sound very fair,” Lance said, summoning his Bayard and leaning on it like a snazzy cane. Red crossed his arms.

 

“Because you have a name. Red's not my name, so you can't use it.”

 

“But you're the Red Paladin,” Lance pointed out, only for Red’s stance to change completely. His shoulders hiked up and his fists clenched. Hm… a rough spot?

 

“I am not a paladin,” Red growled.

 

“You have a lion though.”

 

“Not the same thing.”

 

“I beg to differ.”

 

“And I don't care.”

 

“Really? It sounds like you care a lot more than you're letting on,” Lance said, stepping forward.

 

“And why do _you_ care so much?” Red asked, sounding more irritated by the minute. Lance shrugged.

 

“I'm just baffled that the Red Lion would choose someone working for the _Galra_.” Another step forward, voice a bit less teasing and more serious now. Accusatory.

 

“So you think working for the Galra automatically makes someone unable to bond with a lion?”

 

“Maybe,” Lance answered. “Or maybe I just wanted to know for sure you worked for the Galra.”

 

Red paused, then, “If that's all you wanted then you should have just asked.”

 

Lance stepped once more and Red finally noticed. He raised his knife.

 

“Oh, come on, man,” Lance complained. “I thought we were having a civilized conversation.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose civilized is what you were going for.”

 

Lance tilted his head and sighed. “Okay, okay,” he relented.

 

Then he straightened and aimed his gun. When he fired, Red was already gone. Lance cursed, turning, but Red slashed his knife across his arm. It cut through the fabric there and left a bloody streak. Lance cursed again. First hit and it didn't even deflect off his armor. Great.

 

“Come on, man,” Lance made sure to vocally complain, backing up from the assault. Red was already on the retreat, but Lance decided that was good. Better for his long range.

 

Red ran, narrowly dodging Lance's hits. Each shot hit less than an inch away from him, yet somehow he was able to slip past, causing a frustrated noise to escape Lance's teeth. He was a good shot, damn it!

 

“Later, Blue,” Red called, ducking into the hallway. Lance growled and didn't waste much time before running after.

 

In the hallway, he saw movement to his right and blindly shot after it. He watched the bullet ricochet and Red stop in his tracks to see it bounce a inch from his face and to the ground. He looked back at Lance and, with a sense of smug satisfaction, Lance grinned.

 

Then Red was in motion again and the chase was on.

 

-/-

 

When Lance got back to his apartment that evening (more like very early morning) he was considerably not in a good mood. A bad mood, some might say.

 

For one, it was three in the morning and he had to be into work at seven tomorrow. For another, Red had gotten away _again_.

 

Lance collapsed on his bed, thankful for the instant comfort it provided. He still wasn't happy, but at least he had a warm and soft surface beneath him. This way he could wallow in a suitable way.

 

It was only the second time Red had gotten away, but that was the thing with villains. If you didn't bring them down soon they just grew more powerful, more elusive, and more confident. Lance could use that confidence against them, sure, but usually it was catch criminals in their first few attempts or let them become villains who may never get caught.

 

Lance had enough villains to deal with in Altea. He didn't need another.

 

But, to really be honest, he should have seen this coming the moment the Red Lion showed up.

 

“Seriously,” Lance spoke to his empty apartment. “Fuck this.”

 

The next day was a struggle to get through on the little sleep he had. He messed up at least six orders throughout his shift and he was already on thin ice with his boss. It was a miracle he got home that evening still employed. With all his discrepancies, getting sacked was coming sooner rather than later. He'd have to ask Allura for another recommendation letter in advance.

 

Lance could only push it from his mind at the moment, collapsing into his bed not unlike how he'd done that morning. He was asleep almost instantaneously, sleeping in well into the afternoon.

 

It was extremely satisfying until light leaking through his curtains woke him up and he was forced to face the day. It was even worse when he realized what day it was.

 

“Oh, it's Saturday,” Lance commented, looking at his phone. “Good thing too. I would have been sooo late to work.” Lance chuckled at that until, with sudden realization, his heart clunked right into the abyss of his stomach.

 

Wide eyes looked down at the time, blanching when he realized how close he was cutting it. He definitely wouldn't make it, even if he bolted right now, forgoing a shower and clean clothes (which were both imperative to his day and the impressions he was trying to make).

 

Letting himself one more minute of delay, Lance slumped into his mattress, face first into his pillow and groaned pitifully.

 

“Keith is going to kill me.”

 

-/-

 

When Lance burst into the restaurant, Keith looked up at him, as well as everyone in the place. Lance paused, scratching his head and avoiding eye contact with anyone but the one he was meeting there, trying to relay his apology across the distance.

 

Keith lifted a single eyebrow and Lance realized how long he'd been standing there. He jolted, and ducked his head, shuffling over to the window side booth Keith had picked toward the back of the joint. Keith was smirking. Was that a good thing?

 

Part of Lance said _hell yes_ , but another part chided him, saying he only thought that because of how insanely attractive that smirk was directed his way. What he really should be wondering is what that smirk _meant._

 

When Lance got to the table, he awkwardly stood beside it, looking down at his date.

 

He wouldn't admit to the little thrill he got at thinking as such. But, _yeah,_ they had both said it was a date, so it was true.

 

“McClain,” Keith greeted, same raised eyebrow, smirking expression on his face as he leaned back in his booth. “You're late.”

 

Lance scratched the back of his head in that nervous tick of his. “Yeah… sorry about that. I might have… slept in?” He said it like a question even though there was no question to it. Lance's nerves were jumping everywhere, waiting for the disappointment, the rejection. Had he really ruined things with his soulmate before they'd started?

 

Instead of getting angry or getting up and leaving, instead of any of that, Keith snorted and rolled his eyes. Lance froze, staring in awe. When Keith looked back up, he asked, “Well? Are you gonna sit or stand there the whole time?”

 

“Oh,” was all Lance could get out, looking to the booth opposite Keith. This wasn't how most of Lance's dates went, to be honest. “Oh!” He exclaimed, eyes widening. He slid into the booth.

 

When he heard Keith chuckling he looked up. Finally, he managed to relax and a smile made it to his lips.

 

Usually, dates were something of a stressful situation for Lance. Always with people he couldn't help see himself as equal with or under the pressure of making everything perfect. But here, a minute into his date with Keith, he felt something he never had before.

 

So he managed a laugh as well and that laughter turned into something genuine.

 

And, between the jokes and stories, introducing Keith to the best burgers in town and Keith wiping whipped cream off of his nose from his vanilla milkshake, Lance had the best date he'd ever had.

 

-/-

 

Lance fell into somewhat of a routine in the following weeks. It would be absurd to say that it was all thanks to Keith that Lance was finally able to settle a little in his own city, but it almost felt that way. He was getting a round number of hours of sleep and a mostly regular schedule of work and eating. He called Hunk and Pidge constantly with news of the city and his life, which was a great balance between superhero duties and soulmate duties. He went on dates with Keith and arrested criminals.

 

People weren't kidding when they said that soulmates changed your life.

 

But it wasn't only Keith either. Somehow, Red also had a considerable impact on him as well.

 

Lance had been so worried that finding his soulmate and hanging out with them would go terribly wrong when he had to run away for paladin duties, but, somehow, that rarely happened. Only smaller criminals interrupted his dates.

 

Ever since Red had come to town, all of the other big villains had gone into hiding. It was probably something the Galra were planning, which should have made Lance suspicious, but mostly he felt relieved. For once in the five years he had been the Blue Paladin, he got a break.

 

Or… as much of a break as was possible with Red fucking shit up.

 

Even so, with Red unrelenting and uncatchable, Lance still felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Not only the weight of constant superheroness, but the added weight he’d had to carry with all the other paladins gone.

 

His stresses may not have all gone, but his anxiety at going on dates with Keith had all but dissipated.

 

“Lance,” Keith said as they walked down the sidewalk. The air was chilly and their breaths came out in visible puffs. The two were bundled in thick coats and cozy scarfs up to their noses, so Keith’s voice was a little muffled.

 

Lance turned his gaze on Keith and where he had suddenly gone all stiff and awkward. Funny, Lance hadn't seen either of them like this in awhile. While it was adorable seeing that red on the topmost parts of Keith's cheeks where he could see above the scarf, Lance wondered what was wrong.

 

“Yeah?” He asked, pulling down his scarf and watching another breath smoke the air. Keith shifted and pursed his lips, looking down at the space between them. Lance, utterly confused, looked down with him.

 

And that's where he saw their joined hands.

 

“Oh! Sorry! I guess my hand was cold and-” but, before Lance could make anymore of an ass of himself, Keith laughed from beneath his scarf, drawing nearer to Lance and effectively shutting him up.

 

“It's okay, Lance. My hand was cold too,” Keith said, probably smirking if Lance was right by the tone of his voice. Damn Keith and his smirk.

 

Then, Lance realized what he had said and looked back down at their hands, embarrassment heating up his cheeks in a way he should be thankful for in the winter chill. “Oh,” he replied lamely.

 

Keith laughed and Lance's eyes shot back up.

 

“You say that a lot, don't you?” Keith teased and Lance gave a little embarrassed smile of his own. Keith drew even closer, snuggling into his side and spreading warmth into him.

 

“I guess I do,” Lance said, rolling his eyes down at Keith.

 

So they continued on to the movies like that and only let their hands go when they had to get their coats and gloves off in the packed theatre, lest they burn up in there.

 

Despite having let go, into wasn't far into the movie that their hands somehow slipped back.

 

-/-

 

“Blue,” Red greeted him for what felt the millionth time but was probably in its teens.

 

Lance held his head straight and cocked his hip, placing one confident hand on it. “Red.” By then Red had stopped correcting him on his name, though for a time he had tried getting him to use the same name as the papers. _Blade. Yeah, he uses a blade, but how was that supposed to be a good name?_

 

“You're arriving a little late,” Red said. “I was starting to think I'd have a day off and you wouldn't show.”

 

“And miss this fun?” Lance asked, walking forward. “Never.”

 

“Hmm,” Red hummed and, not for the first time, Lance wondered what sort of expression he had on beneath that mask. In Lance's mind, Red was in a constant state of smugness, just to grate on his nerves. “Good thing I set this up then.”

 

Then, Red pushed the button to a remote Lance hadn't noticed he was holding and the next thing he knew he was upside down. “Wha- what the hell, Red?!” He sputtered, flailing about in the rope that hugged his right ankle. “Seriously? What? Are you five?”

 

“Sometimes the old tricks are the best out there,” Red shrugged and Lance crossed his arms, watching the guy make his way out of yet another lab. What was with this guy and stealing stuff from labs? What were the Galra planning?

 

“Blue!” Lance suddenly shouted, but it looked as though both Reds were expecting this. As soon as Blue materialized into the room, the Red Lion was there too, lowering himself into a fighting stance.

 

“Feeling kind of tired today, so I'm glad we won't be here long,” Red said, feigning a dramatic yawn. “See ya,” he said and turned on his heel. He waved over his shoulder and leapt through a window. Blue tried to make her way around the Red Lion to get to him, but to no avail.

 

But, wait a second. Red just jumped out of a window without his lion out there to catch him.

 

“What the hell?!” Lance asked the room around him, the roars and growls of the two lions still fighting covering his curse for the most part.

 

By the time the Red Lion had followed after his paladin and Blue had snapped the rope tying Lance to the ceiling, Lance was about as done with the night as Red had pretended to be.

 

Lance sighed and slumped.

 

“Maybe next time, Blue.”

 

-/-

 

The cycle was the same. Go to work. Have a date with Keith. Sprinkle hero duties all over. And wah la! You have the recipe to Lance's life. Not that he was complaining. For the most part, it was a pretty good life.

 

That was probably thanks to Keith though.

 

“This movie is so underrated, I tell you! I don't get why the internet isn't exploding with it!” Lance exclaimed one day to Keith on his couch. He was clicking through Netflix to find the title while Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“I've never watched it, so I can't actually weigh in on this rant, Lance.”

 

“My point exactly! Has anyone even seen it? Because they sure don't act like it.”

 

Keith leaned into him despite all the unoccupied space on the couch and smirked into his shoulder. Damn that smirk. “Alright, so we're going to watch it then?”

 

“Hell yeah! You know I nearly jumped through the roof when I saw it was on Netflix? You were almost down a soulmate and, as far as I know, you've only got one, right?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“So there. This movie is so good you could have lost your one and only soulmate because of it. _Now_ are you convinced this is the real deal?” Lance asked, clicking the movie and waiting before starting it.

 

“I won't make any judgements until I've seen it,” Keith said instead, definitely trying to get a rise out of him.

 

“Alright, then let's start it, Mr Skeptic,” Lance said and pressed Play.

 

Not long into Meet the Robinsons, these were Keith's exact words: “Wow, another orphan boy is going to save the world?”

 

“Shut up,” Lance chided. “The trope is cute and I happen to know an orphan boy who could probably do the same.”

 

“Bringing up my tragic backstory during a date? Attractive, Lance,” Keith teasingly chided.

 

“Oh, come on,” Lance said, not caring that they were missing a considerable amount of exposition for the conversation. “You don't think you could save the world? You could be a superhero if you wanted.”

 

Lance didn't notice that Keith had gone quiet.

 

“A regular paladin of Voltron, you are,” Lance poked him in the side and Keith looked down, bangs falling in his face. Probably to hide his embarrassment.

 

“Let's just watch the movie,” he said and Lance huffed and complied.

 

Sometime during the movie, the two ended up twined together on the couch, laying down and facing each other. Somehow, Lance knew the movie would have to come another day. He wasn't giving up on showing Keith this fantastic movie but… this was definitely something he wouldn’t miss either.

 

Lance was in the middle of telling Keith little stories about Cuba and the beach and his family. “The waves are so calm at night” he would say. Or “my older siblings always scruff my hair and, damn, isn't it annoying. I would never tell them that I actually love it”.

 

“My family has always been there for me, you know? Even when I wanted to move all the way here for college. My mom was so worried, but Hunk was going to go to the same college as well, so she had us swear to take care of each other. Which, duh, we're best friends, but she wouldn't let us go without our word.”

 

“You went to college?” Keith asked and Lance was so startled by the question he simply stared for a moment.

 

“Uh, yeah,” he said, scratching his neck. “Never graduated though. Things got hectic so I dropped out for a while. I've been thinking of going back, but I don't know.”

 

“What did you go for?” Keith asked, simply curious in that way that charmed Lance to no end. Lance leaned his forehead against Keith's.

 

“Astrophysics. Nearly killed me at times, but it's what I wanted to do.” Lance shrugged.

 

“That sounds really cool,” Keith said. “My brother did that too, but I didn't know you were into space.”

 

“Yeah, well I guess we _have_ only known each other for a month now.”

 

“Is it weird that it feels a lot longer?” Keith asked.

 

Lance shrugged again. “Soulmate thing?”

 

Keith pressed closer. “Maybe.”

 

And, for a while, they both laid there, thinking and watching each other. Lance set out to memorize every part of Keith's face, connect every feature, ask about every scar, know those eyes like the back of his hand.

 

“Your eyes really are very purple,” Lance commented and Keith's gaze shot up. “Not sure how that's possible,” Lance laughed and Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“So,” Lance said, voice quiet so that it only carried between the two of them, despite them being the only ones there. “Not to bring up your _tragic backstory_ again, but you said you had an adoptive family, right? What are they like?”

 

Keith paused for a moment to look up at Lance, then a proud little smile curved his lips. “They're great. I didn't get adopted until I was sixteen, which is insane 'cause kids never get adopted in their teens. I didn't know my adoptive dad for long because he died about a year after…”

 

Keith trailed off and Lance hugged him closer.

 

“It was weird at first calling them mom and dad because I had always thought of someone else as those things. Even though I didn't know my mom and barely knew my dad, they still had those titles in my mind. They still kinda do. I got used to calling my adoptive mom 'mom’ eventually though.”

 

Keith sighed, long and hard. He shifted before saying, “And then, there’s my brother.”

 

Something about the way Keith said that caused Lance to pause. He looked down at where Keith was pressed to his side, playing with the hem of his shirt.

 

“He's actually the reason I moved to Altea,” Keith said. “He’s- well, he's missing. And I'm just trying to get him back.”

 

Lance's heart sunk in his chest. _Keith's brother… was missing?_

 

“I- I didn't know,” was all Lance could come up with to say. Keith shrugged.

 

“I didn't tell you. How could you?”

 

“I'll help you,” Lance decided. “I'll help you get him back.” And Lance felt so sure, so determined, but Keith just gripped his side and sighed almost inaudibly. Lance definitely wasn't supposed to have heard that sigh.

 

“Okay,” Keith agreed, but he sounded so doubtful.

 

“We'll find him, Keith,” Lance tried again. Keith was silent for all but a second until he sat up, propping his face on Lance's chest to peer at the TV.

 

He laughed, or tried to, at the screen. “I don't even know what's going on anymore. Is that a T-Rex?”

 

Lance looked too just in time to see the dinosaur say “I have a big head and little arms.” He puffed out a laugh at one of his favorite parts, but turned back to Keith.

 

Lance let him change the subject, tucking a lock of hair back behind his ear and turning back to the screen.

 

But he had meant what he'd said. He'd help Keith find his brother. No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont even know if this is a good place to end the chapter but oh well. hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

“Shit,” Keith cursed causing Lance to look up. They were at the same burger joint as their first date, eating the cheesiest burgers Lance had ever had (which was definitely a compliment to the chef) when Keith had gotten a text. Going by his sudden exclamation, the text hadn't been good.

 

“What?” Lance asked, putting his burger down and searching for a napkin. Keith quickly tapped out a response to the text and looked up, eyebrows knitted together.

 

“It's work. I'm really sorry, but I gotta go,” Keith said. When Lance had found his napkin, he looked up, wiping his hands. Keith was still sitting there, making no moves to leave. Was he… waiting for Lance to give him an okay?

 

That was too sweet. If Lance didn't watch himself, he would start smiling like an idiot and then where would he be?

 

“Why are you smiling?” Keith asked. Oops.

 

“Sorry. It's just cute that you're waiting. Like if I said don't go then you wouldn't or something.”

 

“I wouldn't,” Keith responded as if that were obvious. Lance paused, his own eyes scrunching in confusion. “I mean, that would suck because my job’s important, but I figure you're more important, you know?” Suddenly, Keith was blushing up to his roots and Lance was convinced he must look the same. Keith started to stammer, which Lance couldn't find cute, could he? It was weird. That's definitely not what he thought of his flailing boyfriend.

 

Lance coughed suddenly at the word choice. They had been official for about a week now, ever since their one month anniversary of their soulmate meeting (as cheesy as that sounded), but Lance still wasn't used to it.

 

“I mean,” Keith continued, tripping over his words, “You know how important it is so you'd only stop me if it was really important in which case I would listen to you because I… trust? You?”

 

“Keith,” Lance became very serious suddenly, “Come here right now so I can give you a hug. That was the cutest thing I've ever heard,” Lance demanded and took special notice to the strengthening of Keith's blush. 

 

Keith buried himself in his arms folded on the table. “Ugh. I shouldn't have said anything.”

 

“Oh, come on! Hug hug! Keeiith,” Lance teased, wiggling his fingers in front of him where his arms were extended in the invitation of a hug. There was no possible way to hug over the table, but, if Keith was too embarrassed to come over for a hug then Lance was not above switching booths himself.

 

Finally, Keith raised himself from his slumped position and rolled his eyes, snatching his coat from beside him. “Alright. I'm leaving.” Keith dug out some change from his wallet and threw it on the table. “You can have the rest of mine if you want,” he offered, but Lance was still patiently waiting. Keith looked down at him, now standing beside the table, and raised an eyebrow. Lance waggled his own, unrelentingly still holding out his arms.

 

Finally, Keith rolled his eyes once more and stepped into his arms where Lance buried his face into the other's chest. Keith patted his back as if he were only allowing the hug, but Lance didn't miss the way he held tight.

 

When they pulled away, Lance said, “Have fun,” while Keith sighed, a sign that he surely wouldn't. He worked for some boring office doing who knew what, but his schedule was even weirder than Lance’s. What sort of office had its employees come in at nine at night on a Friday? Or, like today, the middle of the day on his day off?

 

For the most part, Keith had advanced warning about anything screwy going on with his schedule, but sometimes shit like this happened. It wasn't like Lance could complain though. He had to ditch Keith every now and again too for his own, unpaid, kicking ass, saving the city work.

 

“See you later,  _ boyfriend,” _ Keith teased and the word shaped so perfectly in his mouth that Lance wanted to kiss it. Instead, he grinned like a schoolgirl.

 

“Later,  _ boyfriend _ ,” Lance replied, with just as much mirth.

 

When Keith was gone, Lance looked at the table. They had barely even started before Keith had been called away.

 

Lance raised his hand and twisted in his seat, searching the restaurant. “Yes, waitress? Could I get two boxes, please?”

 

-/-

 

It was difficult to balance two boxes and two styrofoam cups containing milkshakes all the way back to his apartment, but Lance made it, taking the bus most of the way just in case. Lance sipped at his vanilla shake after putting the rest in the fridge, wondering if he texted now if Keith would come over that night. 

 

He put his cup down on the counter and eyed it. Styrofoam. The bane of his existence.

 

His phone buzzed and Lance amended this thought.

 

The second bane of his existence.

 

**Allura** : burke’s labs again. you know what that means.

 

Lance did and he wasn't exactly displeased. Red may have been first to styrofoam, but somehow he wasn't always a source of displeasure for Lance. Other than the part where Lance could never actually catch the guy, it was kinda fun being around Red. He was a great fighter and their banter was good fun. Plus, Lance was still intrigued by his paladin status.

 

The thought never ceased to trouble his mind.  _ Why had Red picked him? _

 

Blue insisted again and again that it wasn't a trick of some kind. That really  _ was _ the Red Lion. And he wasn't brainwashed or tricked into accepting this guy. So  _ why _ ?

 

Maybe he wasn't like the other Galra. Maybe he was a double agent - for Voltron or some other group that fought against the Galra. Maybe the guy really was good and deserving of the Red Lion somehow.

 

Or maybe it was the lion’s trick. Maybe he was infiltrating the Galra base himself. Trying to get info or to change one of their main operatives mindsets. It wasn't exactly what Lance envisioned of a lion of Voltron doing, but it was possible, right?

 

One thing was for certain. Something was going on.

 

Lance was ready and hopping aboard Blue in no time, zooming off from his balcony.

 

Whatever was going on, Lance didn't care. He was taking Red down.

 

-/-

 

“Nice seeing you here,” Lance said, strutting into the room without inhibition. Red looked up from his duffle bag. Lance knew it would already be full, but he was prepared to take it at the very least. If he couldn't stop Red, he'd just have to compromise his mission.

 

It was as close as Lance had come to winning against Red in the past month and a half since the guy had shown himself in Altea. What? You didn't think Red had been getting off completely this whole time, did you?

 

At Lance's words, Red secured the bag around him. “Not today, Blue.”

 

He did not sound amused. Lance frowned and was surprised to find it was genuine.

 

“Something got you down, Red?” He asked and, again, surprise. Lance actually cared. That's what he got for being a superhero. Damn empathy.

 

“I wasn't planning on doing this with my afternoon, if you'd like to know. So I'm just gonna take this and go.”

 

“Hm, sorry about your sucky day, but I still can't do that. Whole superhero gig, you know?”

 

Red sighed. It was a deep, suffering, though not entirely dramatic type sigh. It echoed his exhaustion across the room and Lance bit his lip. Damn it, he wasn't letting this get to him!

 

Then, Red lowered his stance, albeit tiredly. “Alright, let's do this then.” He brought up his arms, one hooked and fisted, the other beckoned him. Lance would have taken it as a taunting move if the guy didn't seem so tired.

 

Nothing screamed  _ this is a job _ like a reluctance to do it. Yeah, sometimes Lance felt this tired about his superhero duties, but it wasn't really a  _ job, _ you know? This guy? Working for the Galra probably got old quick.

 

Again, Lance wondered why he was doing it. Could he be a good guy? Could the Red Lion have picked him for a legitimate  _ reason? _

 

No. Lance couldn't afford to think that way. He was working for the Galra and that was it. He was a villain, a thief, his enemy. Simple as that.

 

So Lance spun his Bayard, transforming it into his gun, and shot. Red seemed surprised at this move and the shot actually skimmed his arm as he darted out of the way. Lance didn't let that affect him. He didn't think; just aimed and shot.

 

Red looked like he was scrambling, taken aback by Lance's absent, but professional, shooting. He had deadly aim, even more so when he didn't think. He could think himself into circles if he allowed it, but when he let his mind go blank?

 

That was what criminals and villains most feared from the Blue Paladin.

 

Another shot knicked Red and he grasped his leg, a short exclamation slipping from his lips. His mask remained and his hood hid even that. He wasn't Red in Lance's mind right then. He was just a person. A villain. One of the Galra.

 

A shot hit the strap of Red’s duffle bag, a new one by the look of it and going by the fact that Lance had taken his last three. The bag fell from Red’s shoulder, but Red left it, favoring his left leg as he made for a window.

 

Lance shot again and it hit the wall right next to the window. Red paused, just like the first time Lance had seen him in this lab. The familiar action stayed Lance's finger, but he didn't move. He realized he was breathing heavily, but his gaze had zoned in on Red.

 

Red, who worked for the Galra.

 

Red, who was his enemy.

 

Red… who was a paladin too.

 

Red. Who might have had some good in him. Who had enough good to have bonded with the Red Lion.

 

Red, whose leg was stained that same color, turning his black suit to a dark damp shade.

 

Lance lowered his gun, breath stuck his his throat. Red was bleeding. Why did that make Lance want to throw up?

 

Suddenly, Blue was right beside him, roaring. Lance blinked once. Then rapidly, looked down.

 

_ Getting away. _

 

She told him. And she was right, but Lance couldn't do anything about it.

 

No, scratch that. He could. But he didn't.

 

Lance looked back up and watched Red as he escaped out the window. Then, he was gone, off into the afternoon sky riding on his lion’s back.

 

And, still. Lance did nothing.

 

Blue pushed on his mind with a series of question marks, but Lance just shook his head. He didn't push any thought or feeling back.

 

Red was always getting away. But not once had he gotten away because Lance had let him.

 

And that sort of scared him.

 

-/-

 

When Lance called, Keith told him he couldn't come over that night. He wondered how long the burgers would keep.

 

-/-

 

The burgers didn't keep. Because it was almost two weeks until Lance saw Keith again. He wondered if it was weird to be so dependent on someone he had met a little over a month ago.

 

“He's my soulmate,” Lance muttered as he waited by the toaster for his toast. “I can be dependent if I want…”

 

The toast popped.

 

“You're right. It's weird,” Lance agreed, very tired and nodding his head. When he realized he was talking to a toaster, he wasn't surprised.

 

After putting butter and jelly on his toast he shuffled to the couch, flipping to the news like some old person and nibbling on his breakfast as he looked out the window. He heard birds and wondered why that was in the middle of the city.

 

He didn't mind. They hadn't woken him up, so it was actually pretty soothing. Lance was just wondering if he should have coffee that morning when he picked up his phone to go through his morning social media scroll and noticed a new message at the top of his screen.

 

**Pidge** : got a new lead. call when you can. not urgent.

 

Looks like he was going to start his day off with a video call to his friend. That had the possibility of going well.

 

Also a possibility that it could go horribly wrong, but who was Lance to deny Pidge a video call when they had info either on their brother or Shiro. It would eat away at Lance’s mind and Pidge’s sanity if he didn't call at least semi-quickly.

 

When he sent out the call request it was picked up almost immediately, Pidge’s wild chestnut hair and huge magnifying glasses filling up the screen. Their eyes were huge behind them and full of excitement.

 

“When I said it wasn't urgent that didn't mean you should take so much time to call,” Pidge said as soon as the audio connected. Lance rolled his eyes, but his grin was wide.

 

“I just woke up. I called as soon as I could.”

 

Pidge mirrored him in rolling their eyes, but it was a lot more obvious on that side of the screen since Pidge’s eyes took up at least half the screen. Pidge finally leaned back so Lance wasn't so overwhelmed and he could tell they were in their room off in Olkari from the newspaper clippings and strings that decorated the walls, as well as the cords and tech around the room. Also, Pidge kept fairy lights above their bed.

 

They also looked like they hadn't slept all night.

 

“Did you pull another all nighter?” Lance asked, disapproval evident in his voice.

 

“Oh, don't you go all dad on me, Lance. One is enough on this team,” Pidge replied, clicking something on one of their other screens with their mouse. Lance wondered if Pidge had heard themselves, but knew probably not. Pidge was rarely unaffected when someone brought up Shiro.

 

Showed how much sleep the Green Paladin had likely gotten.

 

“I'm just saying,” Lance said, putting his arms up to show he meant no harm, “Maybe get a few extra hours? You can't investigate  _ and _ save cities with two hours of sleep each night.”

 

Pidge sighed and paused in their scrolling, slumping in their chair. “I know. I know.” Pidge rubbed at their eyes, knocking their glasses askew in the process. “I make sure not to do this too often. I was just on a  _ really good lead _ .” At this, they grew excited again, looking up at the monitor Lance was on. “Just wait until I tell you! I found footage of Matt!”

 

“Wait, seriously?” Lance asked, jumping up in his own chair. “That's, like, the best lead you've had!”

 

“I know, right?” Pidge said, matching his enthusiasm. “I can't send you the video because I may have hacked into somewhere I wasn't supposed to be, but I'll mirror our screens. One sec.”

 

As Pidge’s fingers danced across their keyboard Lance was nearly shaking from his excitement. Pidge had been looking for their brother for so long - he and their father had been missing before Lance had even met Pidge at their college and certainly before Voltron. Now it was possible they could actually find at least one of them.

 

If Pidge could find their family, then that was at least one family reunited. Without meaning to, Lance's mind raced to Shiro, their own little family broken apart at the moment. Then, he thought of Keith and his brother.

 

Maybe he should ask Pidge to look into that too.

 

“Here!” Pidge said, shocking Lance away from his thoughts. “Watch this. I'll pause it to point him out.”

 

So the footage played and… “Is that a prison?” Lance asked in alarm, only to be shushed for interrupting. He continued watching, questions cropping up in the back of his head for later, until Pidge paused it.

 

“There! Do you see him?” 

 

Sure enough, Lance saw him, even before Pidge started to circle him with a big red digital highlighter. “That sure looks like him.” He said, knowing from pictures what Matt Holt looked like.

 

“It is him! I've found him!” Pidge exclaimed and Lance was so happy for them that he wanted to throw his arms around them. Instead, he clapped emphatically and congratulated them. “No applause yet. I still have to get him.”

 

Suddenly, Lance grew serious. “You can't go in alone. Where is that? It doesn't look anywhere good.”

 

“It's one of the Galra’s headquarters,” Pidge said and Lance gaped.

 

“Wait what?!”

 

“Relax. I'm not going in guns blazing. For one, it looks like he was getting busted out, right? So he's not there anymore. Another… well…”

 

“Well?” Lance asked. “Well what?”

 

Pidge swallowed, leaning back in their chair. “This footage is from  _ months _ ago. There's no telling where he could be now or where they might have taken him. I'm still no where close to finding him.”

 

“Oh,” Lance said, suddenly feeling guilty for demanding so many answers. 

 

“Yeah. Oh,” Pidge agreed, looking much too disheartened for someone who had just gotten the best evidence of their brother’s living existence in years.

 

“But, hey,” Lance tried, hoping to raise spirits a bit. “This is still something. And we can do a lot more with something than with nothing.”

 

“Really?” Pidge asked, still sounding down. “Like what?”

 

“Well, for one, he's okay. He looks okay aside from the horrible prisoner crop top thing. What were they even thinking with that thing?”

 

Pidge snorted and Lance perked up at the noise, taking it as a good sign.

 

“And we have the faces of these other prisoners. And those people who busted them out may have their faces covered, but there are a lot of clues about their clothes we could look into.”

 

Pidge looked at him through the screen. “Thanks, Lance.”

 

“No problem, Pidgey.”

 

Pidge nodded, but didn't stay still for long. That was the thing about Pidge. They always had to be doing something, always in movement. Especially if  _ human emotion _ was catching up to them.

 

“So, yeah. Other than that I don't really have anything else. The Shiro search is still a dead end,” Pidge said, shifting through some papers on their desk. At this, Lance's heart sunk a bit, but he kept his smile on.

 

“That's alright. You're doing great, Pidge,” he assured and Pidge rolled their eyes at him.

 

“Thanks. You're sounding more like Shiro by the minute.”

 

Lance weighed his head from side to side, as if considering this. “You know, I'm pretty okay with that. As long as I don't get  _ too _ dad on you guys.”

 

“Better watch out. You're getting there,” Pidge warned and Lance laughed.

 

He leaned forward, folding his arms on his desk. “Okay, play me through why it's such a dead end. Maybe I can help.”

 

“Alright, so I've obviously talked to his family, even after Allura’s initial go. Neither his mother or brother know a thing about where he could be and, after a lot of dancing around the fact, I concluded that only the brother knows Shiro’s a paladin. Weird 'cause Allura said neither of them had known, but I guess she must have skipped over it in her rush.”

 

“Shiro told someone? No fair,” Lance fake pouted.

 

“You can tell people if you want, Lance. We've gone over this.” 

 

Lance sighed. “Yeah…”

 

They had gone over this. Lance hadn't told anyone because of the worry he would have put his family through. His mother worried enough already. As far as Lance knew, Hunk had told his soulmate and neither Shiro nor Pidge had told anyone. At least, until now. Apparently, Shiro had a brother who he'd told.

 

“His family doesn't have a clue where he might have gone. In fact, his brother’s searching as admantly as we are. None of Shiro’s friends have any idea. No security footage  _ anywhere _ shows him leaving or getting taken. His apartment. Places he frequented like grocery stores or restaurants or the park. I can't believe how much he went there, to be honest. Likes the birds, apparently. There's no trace of him though. He's just  _ gone _ .”

 

“Kinda like how Matt was taken?” Lance asked, wondering how risky that line of conversation might be. Pidge paused.

 

Then, they nodded. “Exactly like that. Gone without a trace. It was only luck that led me to finding Matt, to be honest.”

 

“So, do you think the Galra could be behind this?” He asked, putting two and two together. Matt had been found in a Galra complex, after all. They were an obvious culprit in this as an enemy to Voltron. Did that mean they knew Shiro’s identity now?

 

“Could be,” Pidge answered, shrugging to play off how nervous the thought obviously made them. “I'll keep an eye on them.”

 

Lance nodded. “If you need me to do anything, just ask. I want to help.”

 

“Of course,” Pidge responded without hesitation and Lance wondered if they would take his suggestion to heart. “Look, I should probably get going. Work and shit. But thanks for calling, man.”

 

“Yeah, no problem. Thanks for filling me in. I'm glad you found your brother.”

 

“Not quite yet, but it's getting there,” Pidge said. “But thanks, Lance.”

 

“Anytime,” Lance shot finger guns their way and Pidge rolled their eyes. “And, Pidge?”

 

Pidge raised an eyebrow to show they were listening.

 

“Get some sleep, you gremlin.”

 

Pidge squawked at the name, clearly offended. Before they could get angry though, Lance ended the call. 

 

Still laughing, Lance turned his swivel chair toward his bedroom door and launched out of it. He had work of his own to get ready for.

 

-/-

 

It was that evening when Keith contacted him again. Lance would have been a liar if he didn't say he was relieved.

 

**Keith** : hey if you’re free maybe we could hang or something? 

 

It wasn't until after the text that Lance realized how nervous he had been in his time apart from Keith. A heavy weight lifted off his chest and, he would tease himself about dependency all he could, but the truth was, Lance had thought himself dizzy wondering if Keith wasn't just busy these past two weeks. What if he'd grown tired of him?

 

So he responded.

 

**Lance** : totally! whatcha wanna do?

 

Lance sighed and sat back on the couch, a lot more relieved than he probably should have been. When the text came in, Lance's heart leapt. He wondered if that fantastic feeling would ever leave him when it came to Keith. He hoped not.

 

**Keith** : i’ve got something in mind 

 

-/-

 

“This is unbearably cheesy and romantic. Who are you and what have you done to my boyfriend, Keith Kogane?”

 

“Pssh. Piss off,” Keith said, pushing at his shoulder to shut him up. Lance laughed and, instead of rolling away, pushed back to snuggle closer. Lance frowned at the way Keith stiffened and winced when their uppers arms pushed against each other. He decided not to say anything about it though. “I just thought you'd like watching the stars because you said you were into space. Sue me,” Keith grumbled.

 

“Okay. Okay. I'll let you live,” Lance relented. “For now.”

 

Somehow, the two had ended up a ways from the main city aboard Keith's bike. Because it was a  _ motorcycle _ not many blankets had been able to make the journey. When they arrived at their destination, a park that wasn't strictly  _ open _ at this time of night, they laid down the one blanket they did have on some rather soft grass, so it wasn't so bad.

 

The two laid and gazed upward at the semi-starry sky. They weren't far enough from the city for all the stars to peer out from hiding. Still, a little chilly and without much skyward entertainment and Lance was still having the best evening. He had a big fluffy scarf, a thermos of hot chocolate, and his favorite soulmate next to him.

 

“Recognize any constellations?” Keith asked and Lance shook his head.

 

“Not a single one.”

 

“You’re an astrophysics major!” Keith protested, smacking him lightly against the arm without looking away from the sky.

 

“And I find that very stereotypical,” Lance replied. “What? So all astrophysics majors know constellations? Pssh. Please.”

 

“Oh, come on. You don't know Orion? Or the Big Dipper?”

 

“Nope. Don't know her,” Lance said, grinning up at one of said constellations. He didn't need a degree in astrophysics to be able to spot that huge spoon in the sky.

 

“Shut up,” Keith scolded with no real malice in his voice and they both laughed. For a while they just laid there, comfortable in each other’s presence. Lance watched the night sky, wondering, not for the first time, how far it went. How far  _ he _ could go up there.

 

“Hey,” Lance wondered aloud, the silence and darkness making light his thoughts and words. “Could I see your mark? I never did get to that day.”

 

He felt Keith shift against his shoulder to look up at him. Lance’s gut squirmed as his nerves came alive, but were soon squashed at the nod of Keith's head.

 

“Here,” Keith said, holding out his arm and pulling up the sleeve. Lance held it in his own hands and Keith shivered. It was plenty cold out there, but Lance had a feeling it wasn't the temperature that had caused the reaction.

 

Sure enough, the words were there, just as his own. While his read out in a messy script and red coloring though, Keith's was tiddier and blue. It was  _ his _ handwriting, Lance’s. He recognized it from the tight loops and upright letters. He had heard that some soulmates’ marks did that, which made Lance wonder if his arm was also Keith's script.

 

Lance ghosted his fingers across the letters.  _ Your eyes are purple _ is what they said and looking at the word purple in blue font made Lance realize more than one piece of irony in the words.

 

Blue. Of course it would be blue.

 

“Could I see yours again too?” Keith asked, drawing Lance's attention. 

 

“Hmm, I'll have to think about it…” he teased instead of readily complying. Keith scoffed and it took at least fifteen more minutes of bickering for Lance to push up his sleeve. And, damn, was it cold.

 

It was worth it to see Keith's expression as it danced over the marks though. In all of their squabbles, jokes, embarrassment, and all else they had experienced together in the short time they'd known one another, never had Lance seen Keith so unguarded.

 

It was shocking to witness with his own eyes and Lance felt that jolt straight down to his core. He unabashedly drank the sight in as Keith did the same to Lance's arm. His forehead was smoothed out, his lips were slightly parted, his eyes were soft. Lance had never considered Keith's eyes other than their beautiful color before. Now, he realized how hard they normally were. Now, he wanted to see all their shades and complexities and depths.

 

Without realizing it, Lance had reached up with his unmarked arm to tuck a strand of hair back from Keith's face. It didn't stay, falling straight back into its stubborn place, but it proved to attract Keith's attention upwards.

 

For a fraction of a second, that unguarded expression was on him too and Lance had no idea what to do with it. It was both with relief and regret when Keith’s eyes went back to normal, rolling at Lance's antics.

 

“So, do  _ you _ know any constellations?” Lance asked, drawing both of their gazes back skyward. The inky blackness dotted only in places with the usual pricks of white light, but Lance hoped enough were visible to spot a couple constellations.

 

Keith hummed in thought, scanning the sky. “Maybe…” it didn't sound teasing; it sounded like Keith really wasn't sure about his constellation spotting abilities. Lance waited patiently, looking himself, though he knew he probably wouldn't find any. He'd never been good at it, despite having watched the sky so much since he was a child.

 

It wasn't that he wasn't interested per say. It was just that watching the sky was too much in itself already. He got much too lost in it to try focusing on names and shapes and locations. The stories had always been some of his favorite things about them though, other than some other rather cheesy thoughts he had about stargazing in general.

 

Then, Keith pointed up. “Cygnus.”

 

Lance blinked and looked. “That a constellation?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Where?” Lance breathed out, scooting closer in an attempt to look down Keith's arm. Keith traced the shape with a finger, but Lance was still lost. Somehow, Keith was really patient about it though. Usually Keith wasn’t patient for shit.

 

“It's a swan,” Keith explained and continued to help Lance find it in a murmur. Pressed together, Lance wound his hand around Keith's who guided him around the sky, finding the brightest stars in relation to the Big Dipper and Cygnus. It took some time, but neither cared, making finally finding the constellation just all the more sweet.

 

And bittersweet when Keith let go of his hand.

 

“Why do you know Cygnus?” Lance asked, drawing his own hand down slowly and tucking it close to his heart.

 

“My brother showed it to me. Stargazing was something we did a lot when I was first adopted, but I don't really remember most of them,” Keith said, voice bittersweet and reminiscent.

 

_ We’ll find him _ Lance wanted to say, but remembered how that had gone last time. He pushed down that urge and the one pressing him to ask further questions. He didn't want Keith clamming up on him and, in the time Lance had known him, he had figured out that his soulmate only opened up on his own. 

 

“My mama was the one that got me to love the stars,” he said instead. Keith peered over, looking interested.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yep,” Lance said, proud. “I remember the exact night it happened too. We were staying with my grandparents who lived  _ right _ on the beach. Abuelo was in his armchair and all my siblings were sprawled on the rug in front of this huge boxy TV. Abuela was reading in her room and my dad was playing solitaire. He's obsessed with that game, I should tell you. Always has been.”

 

“I'll keep that in mind,” Keith said and Lance heard a smile in his voice.

 

“They'll love you when they meet you,” Lance said, rather unthinkingly and Keith audibly choked on his own spit. Lance patted his arm. “Not anytime soon; don't worry. Just, when they do.”

 

Lance took Keith's silence as a cue to continue.

 

“Mama had gone to the beach which, in retrospect, actually sounds kinda dangerous. The city’s done things to my head, man. But, out there, it was fine. The area was safe and she really hadn't gone far, which I remember because I was allowed to go out and find her all on my own.”

 

Lance looked down at Keith, expecting him to have something to say. To tease Lance about going off on his own or something. Keith always had things to say about Lance's stories. Instead, he found a silent, listening Keith.

 

“My mama had taken out one of the beach chairs on the sand,” Lance decided to continue, looking back up. “One of those long ones that you can kick your feet up on. And she was just laying there, looking up at the stars. When I came over, she looked at me and smiled and scooted over to make room for me to sit too. I was like five, so it was an easy fit.”

 

In the memory, Lance could smell salt in the air and hear the waves, calmly nipping at the shore. Many of his memories were the same. They were the senses of his home. Soft carpet under his feet from his family’s house or the scratchy rug at his grandparents’. Sunburns and watching sandcrabs skitter across the sand. Open windows on sunny days and sitting on the porch on rainy days where he was protected from the downpour but could never resist kicking his legs out in it.

 

Lance hadn't realized he’d gotten lost in memories until he shook himself out of it. He looked down, wondering why Keith hadn't asked him why the pause. Had he fallen asleep?

 

Keith hadn't fallen asleep. He had been watching Lance with a smile, averting his gaze with a blush, muted from the night, when Lance found him out.

 

Lance smirked and continued, letting Keith off this time.

 

“So we were both in that plastic fold-out chair, and neither of us said a word. We didn't have to. I followed my Mama’s gaze upwards and was lost forever.”

 

“Forever?”

 

Lance nodded, head rubbing against Keith's. “Forever. I've never come down.”

 

They both sat in silence, contemplating this, before Keith spoke up again.

 

“I don't think I could get lost in them. I get lost in thought, though, thinking about them. There's a lot more to stars than people think about,” Keith said and Lance hummed in question. “They’ve done a lot more for us than astronomically, you know? Everyone looks at them and thinks of far away places, but there's history around them too. Mythology, navigation, telling the time of the year so that farmers knew when to sow or harvest-”

 

Lance snorted. “Nerd.”

 

“I'm serious though!” Keith persisted. “Isn't that amazing? How much stars have done for us throughout history? They've just always been there and people have always been looking up at them and wondering  _ why. _ And we utilized them as  _ tools _ and paid close enough attention to  _ figure them out _ . How does that not just blow you away?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I  _ guess _ you have a point,” Lance relented.

 

“Hmph,” Keith huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and elbowing him a little in the side in order for him to do so. Lance wanted to laugh and snuggle closer all at once. How dare Keith act this adorable and not expect to be squeezed like a teddy bear? Then, Keith mumbled, “You’re worse than Shiro.”

 

And, immediately, Lance's world turned upside down.

 

“Wh-what?!” He sputtered out, sitting up and staring down at his very surprised soulmate.

 

“What do you mean 'what?’” Keith asked in alarm, sitting up as well.

 

“Did you just say Shiro?” Lance asked. He had to have heard wrong. He wasn't dumb enough to think there could be two Shiro’s; it wasn't a very common name. It was a fricken nickname from the guy’s last name, for crying out loud! But maybe he'd heard it wrong; that was possible.

 

“Yeah?” Keith replied, dashing Lance’s hopes. “Shiro’s my brother.”

 

And, with sudden clarity, everything started falling into place.

 

Keith's brother was missing. Keith had come to Altea to find him. Keith's brother had majored in astrophysics too. 

 

Shiro had a mother and a brother. His dad had died when he was a teenager. He was missing and his brother was searching as adamantly as they were to find him.

 

Shiro was Keith's brother.

 

Keith was Shiro's brother.

 

“Do you know Shiro?” Keith asked and Lance snapped back. His usual excuse was on his tongue before he thought twice, and he just barely held them back when another intruding thought broached his mind.

 

_ We work together _ his mind wanted him to say.

 

_...the brother knows Shiro’s a paladin. _ Pidge’s voice echoed in his head.

 

“We went to college together,” Lance said instead, the substitute coming to him easily. Maybe Shiro had another job like the rest of them other than paladin, but Lance didn't take his chances. 

 

Lance didn't know why he was so adamant about keeping his identity a secret. Apparently, Keith already knew Shiro’s, so he must have been trustworthy. Still, it was important to Lance not to reveal his identity, even to his soulmate.

 

It just put people in danger. It just made them worry. Lance wasn't ready. It had become second nature to him to just conceal the fact. No one had to know.

 

It was a good thing Keith was still shocked by the fact Lance  _ knew  _ his brother to see how nervous he had become. Still, Lance got his shit together  _ real quick _ before Keith could clue into it. Keith was still smart enough to put things together if given the right pieces. Shock was the only thing on Lance's side at the moment.

 

“Did you know he was missing?” Keith asked, leaning forward with a desperate look in his eye. “Were you in touch? Wait- you mean Takashi Shirogane, right? I can't imagine there are a lot of Shiros but still…”

 

“Yeah, yeah. It’s the same guy.” Lance batted the questions away quickly. “And I knew he was missing, but I don't really know much about it.”

 

Keith bit his lip and leaned back. “Okay,” he said and gnawed again on his lip before nodding. “Okay, yeah. Sorry about that; I was just… surprised.”

 

“No! No need to feel sorry at all. This actually makes a lot of sense.”

 

Keith looked up. “It does?”

 

“I mean, yeah. Three people I know missing? That's a conspiracy. Two people? Coincidence.”

 

Keith sat up ramrod straight again. “You know someone else missing too?”

 

At this, Lance grew sheepish. He didn't exactly talk about it a lot because it wasn't really  _ his thing _ to talk about. He didn't go blabbing about Pidge’s troubles to just anyone.

 

But with Keith it felt like he could tell him anything. Well… most anything. He'd grown to trust the guy. And it wasn't merely the soulmate thing either. That connection may have drawn them together, but the way they interacted with each other, who they were as people, that was just them. That was just Lance and Keith.

 

“Yeah,” Lance decided to answer truthfully. “Yeah, I do. It's my friend’s brother, but it can't be connected. Matt went missing years ago.”

 

Keith frowned a little bit. “You don't know they aren't connected. There could be something here - something important.”

 

Lance thought back to Pidge’s countless hours of research and their most recent piece of evidence. They'd considered the possibility of a connection between the two before, but to tell Keith that could have unforeseen consequences.

 

Keith wasn't a superhero. He shouldn't be snooping around with this because he could get seriously hurt. What if he was the next to turn up missing?

 

The thought made Lance's blood run cold.

 

“No,” Lance shook his head. “It doesn't make sense. Matt didn't even  _ know _ Shiro. They had no connection whatsoever.”

 

“How do you know that?” Keith asked, skeptical.

 

“My friend told me. I'm ahead of the game, Keithy. I snooped around the idea of these two being connected a while ago.”

 

“So you're looking into it? You're investigating?” Keith sounded alarmed at the notion and Lance turned his way with a questioning look.

 

“Um, yeah? I've been helping Pidge,” he explained, but stopped when realizing this could only encourage Keith's own investigation. “But the police and the superheroes are the ones that are going to figure this out. Not two people in their twenties who have no clue what they're doing.”

 

“Yeah,” Keith agreed with more conviction than Lance had expected. “They'll figure it out.” He seemed relieved somehow. Relieved… that Lance wasn't investigating? No, that was just his own emotions projecting themselves off Keith. Keith was desperate to get his brother back. He was a civilian who couldn't know all the dangers getting him back might entail.

 

Then again, even civilians could imagine.

 

Keith sighed, slumping down from his excited posture into something more tired. He looked around them at the park and said, almost defeatedly, “They'll find him. They have to.”

 

Lance cocked his head to the side, taking him in. Keith had always seemed like the determined, do it yourself kind of guy. Took things into his own hands and sought out answers to the world. But here, now, Keith looked none of those things. Keith looked like a shadow of himself, taken down from all that he once knew.

 

Lance put his hand on Keith's shoulder and willed him to understand.

 

“They will,” he reassured him and made it his own promise.  _ I will find him. _

 

-/-

 

“Hmm, I spy, with my little eye, somethiiing,” Lance said quietly to himself, turning a corner at the last minute and basically jumping straight into the middle of the hall, shouting, “Red!”

 

And, much to Lance's disappointment and Blue's amusement, it was not, in fact, Red in the black and purple suit.

 

“I'm… kind of right?” Lance amended, taking in the figure he stood instead in the hall. Two sets of challenging growls met his ears as the two lions eyed one another. Blue prowled closer to the Red Lion while her opponent held stiffly where he was.

 

He was guarding a door. Perfect, they must have found Red after all.

 

“Hey, Red,” Lance decided to speak up, waving innocently at the opposing lion and shoving aside the slight confusion of his brain catching up with the name. “We haven't  _ officially _ met, but I'm the Blue Paladin.” Lance stepped forward only for the Red Lion to growl. Blue didn't like that and stepped between them.

 

It was...odd. Watching the two at each other's throats like that, Lance didn't like it. It gave him a weird feeling up his spine. Never had he even seen the Red Lion as a part of Voltron, never had he seen Voltron as a completed team actually, but he knew that putting the lions against each other was  _ wrong _ .

 

Maybe he got that feeling from Blue, who basically radiated her reluctance to fight her friend, yet held a strong determination to protect her paladin all the same. Maybe the Red Lion felt similar. Did that mean Red could feel it too?

 

Lance glanced at the door and wondered what the rogue paladin was doing this time. He must have been stealing something, some sort of chemical or piece of technology no doubt, but never had he sent his lion to keep them out.

 

Maybe it was taking longer than usual and he needed his lion to buy him time… or maybe whatever it was was supposed to remain a secret between him and the Galra. Maybe this was finally the key to understanding what they had been up to lately.

 

Whatever it was, the answer was behind that door. Which was, subsequently, behind that lion.

 

“You've known Blue Paladins in your day, right, Red?” Lance spoke up again, stepping around Blue, much to her displeasure. Red growled again and Lance put up his hands in the universal symbol for 'I bear no harm’. “And you've never fought any of the Blue Paladins before. Or any of the paladins, right? So why now, Red? What's so different about now?”

 

But, of course, Red did not talk to him. Red was not his lion, after all. Though Blue sent her own waves of sad agreement his and Red’s way, Red himself stayed silent to Lance.

 

The silence did not last long though.

 

_ “Lance?!” _ A sudden, desperate voice sounded in his ear. Lance's eyes rounded into saucers as he registered the sound. 

 

“Allur- um, I mean, hello?” Lance said back, taken off guard from the sudden comm. He didn't use her name out in the field for obvious security reasons. When there was silence, Lance remembered he had to flip his switch to unmute himself for her and, after doing so, responded in a calmer manner, “Roger.”

 

“Oh, good!” She breathed out, relieved and much too uncordial to be normal. “You must report back immediately. Drop Red for now; we have police arriving on the scene already.”

 

“What?” Lance asked, doubtful. “I can't just leave. You know this guy won't be taken down by a couple of cops.”

 

“Whether he is captured is not our main priority at the moment. I need you back at HQ and I will explain here. Get here as soon as you can,” Allura commanded.

 

“I can't even do this really quick? I'm literally  _ right here _ . What's so important that I can't even try taking down the biggest villain of the city?”

 

“We need you here  _ immediately _ , Blue. There is no time to lose.”

 

Lance pursed his lips, eyeing the door and the lion guarding it in turn for a few seconds. He was  _ right there _ . Red was on the other side of the door. This could be his chance, if not to catch Red, then to figure out what the Galra were using him for.

 

But Allura sounded very certain and very desperate that he come immediately. Level-headed Allura. Allura who wouldn't risk surprising him like that in the field unless it was crucial for him to hear right then.

 

And Lance knew the right decision. He sighed, looking at the door again.

 

“Maybe next time, Red,” Lance said and the lion growled again. He hadn't been talking to him, but nodded at him all the same, the feeling that he was  _ missing something here _ washing over him once more before Lance turned on his heel. “Come on, Blue. We gotta go.”

 

And Blue followed without hesitation. How Lance had ended up with a friend so loyal was beyond him.

 

When Lance jumped on her back out on the roof, looking below at the police cars pulling up, he hoped that no one got hurt tonight in his absence then took off at top speed.

 

-/-

 

Blue must have sensed his urgency because they were there in record time. They landed on the roof of Voltron HQ, a tall building in the middle of the city, and went down. As Lance stalked down the stairs leading from the roof, Blue followed close behind. Other than his own apartment, this was the only building she could go in with him, and she was determined to stay by her paladin’s side while he was in such distress.

 

It was a good thing Allura's office was on the top floor because Lance was there quick. When he stepped inside, though, no one was there.

 

“Damn it,” Lance cursed, starting to worry. Had she been in trouble? Was that the reason she’d called in such urgency? Allura could damn well take care of herself, which was why he hadn't initially worried, but, then again, Shiro had been able to take care of himself too.

 

Lance spun on his heels and flew out of the office. Allura hadn't mentioned anything of danger over the comms. Actually, she'd seemed pretty put together other than her worried insistence that he got there quickly. What could have happened then? Where could she-

 

Suddenly, that thought was cut short as Lance collided with another person outside Allura’s office door. They were much too big and solid to have been Allura, though the woman was way stronger than she appeared. Still, this person definitely wasn't Allura.

 

And it wasn't an enemy either.

 

“Hunk!” Lance exclaimed and jumped up to hug his friend. Hunk laughed and hugged back before putting him back down on the ground.

 

“Hey, buddy!” His best friend greeted him.

 

“Why are you here? I didn't even know you were coming! Did you get a call from Allura? Wow, Yellow can fly fast…” 

 

Hunk shook his head, looking sheepish. “No. Actually, I came in this morning. It was supposed to be a surprise,” he explained and Lance furrowed his brow.

 

“A surprise?”

 

“Yeah. At least, until Allura got the call from Pidge.”

 

“What call?” Lance asked, worriedly. Hunk’s grin fell a bit and his face grew more serious.

 

“Here, let's go see Allura. She's in the conference room.”

 

As they walked, Lance noticed Yellow beside Hunk as well, so the two were flanked on either side by their lions. Yellow was bigger than Blue, built for defense while Blue was built more as a jack of all trades. She wasn't the fastest or the strongest or the smartest, but she was definitely the most reliable of all the lions. At least, in his opinion.

 

Compared to what he had seen of Red that day, this being the first time he had been able to get a long look at him, it looked like the Red Lion was definitely built for speed, like Allura had said. His body was small and slim, red fur like a warning to anyone who came near. While the Black Lion was known for being the most dangerous of them all, the Red was definitely dangerous in his own respect. Lance wouldn't want to cross him.

 

Except, that had been exactly what he'd been trying to do before Allura had called him back. You see, Lance wasn't the smartest either.

 

But Blue had backed him, so he figured it was okay enough.

 

Once they'd gotten to the conference room, Lance let out a breath at seeing Allura safe and sound. A bit disheveled from whatever news she had gotten, but still as strong and regal as the day he'd first met her in this very office building.

 

“Finally, the last horse crosses the finish line,” another voice pipes up and Lance sends a sneer to the very obvious video call projected on the far wall. Pidge was as sarcastic as ever, though it looked, again, like they hadn't slept in a while. It seemed like another Shiro-talk, courtesy of Lance, was in order soon.

 

“Well excuse me; _I_ was out saving Altea,” Lance answered, slumping into one of the conference table chairs that swiveled around a little from the momentum. His armor dug in at awkward places in the position, but Lance didn't care much. He hadn't been out all that long or doing all that much in the superhero department, but in terms of civilian life he'd been working all day. “Speaking of which, I'm guessing Red got away?”

 

Allura looked up with a frown. “Probably, but that really cannot be helped now. What's important is that we've found Shiro.”

 

The declaration was so sudden that Lance had trouble believing his own ears. “Wait. What? Did you just say we  _ found Shiro _ ?”

 

Allura nodded and Pidge lifted a finger. “Technically,  _ I _ found Shiro. Remember that footage I found of Matt at that Galra prison base?”

 

“Yeah. You said it was from months ago,” Lance agreed.

 

“Well, I've been keeping an eye on that base in particular. Just in case he came back for whatever reason. But I didn't find Matt. I found  _ Shiro _ . They took him there for whatever reason, but now we know exactly where he is. And we can get him back.”

 

“And you're sure it's him?” Lance asked, wanting to believe.  _ Desperately _ wanting to believe. But holding himself back until he was certain. Hope was a tricky thing.

 

“Yeah. Let me just… here,” Pidge pulled up another screen, minimizing the box with their face down to a corner. The footage wasn't the same as the one with Matt, definitely another part of the prison, but the quality was more or less the same. A bit fuzzy, but enough to be able to say that that was undeniably Shiro.

 

But also enough to see that something was very very wrong.

 

“Is that…” Lance was almost afraid to ask, but the others seemed to pick up what he was trying to say.

 

“It seems to be some sort of cybernetic arm,” Pidge spoke up in a hollow tone. The three present in the conference room went silent.

 

The arm was definitely the most notable development to Shiro’s state, it seemed, but Lance could see other subtle differences too. A part of his hair was white and, through the fuzzy lens of the screen, something was off about his face. His demeanor too was different. His shoulders slumped and head hanging down in defeat. This was no longer Voltron’s fearless leader. He was different. A shadow. A shell.

 

But he was still, undeniably, Shiro.

 

“So what's the plan?” Lance asked, clenching his fists on the table. “Do we go to Olkari?”

 

At this, Allura came to life again and straightened up. “Not Olkari, no. This base is at Kerberos, a smaller city not too far from here. Since he was just moved there today, it's possible that he was in Altea this whole time. If only we had known where their base in the city was.”

 

“That can't be helped now,” Lance said, trying to comfort her obviously guilt ridden thoughts. “We can save him now and that's all that matters.”

 

Allura looked at him in gratitude and nodded. “You're right. But we must wait for the Green Lion and Pidge. We cannot go in unprepared.” 

 

“Green and I are on our way already, Allura. It shouldn't be more than a day to get there and we're taking an overnight train,” Pidge said.

 

“Good. In the meantime we will be preparing on our end. There is still much to be done before we can go,” Allura said and Lance nodded toward the screen.

 

“You better get sleep on that train or there's no way you're going to the base with us.”

 

Pidge huffed but didn't protest. “Yeah yeah.”

 

“Alright, we will catch up more once you are here, Pidge. For now, we will let you go,” Allura said and Pidge nodded.

 

“Later,” they said. When the call was cut off, Allura turned to Lance and Hunk. “You two should get some sleep. You will need it for tomorrow.”

 

“Roger that,” Lance agreed and turned to his friend. “You coming over?”

 

Hunk shook his head. “I've got a hotel room.”

 

“But Huuuunk,” Lance complained as they left the room, waving goodbye to Allura, and then Coran when they passed him in the hall. They were both heading toward the roof to fly their lions out. Or, at least, Lance would fly his lion out. Hunk was probably just walking him to the roof before he turned around back to the elevator.

 

“Once we get Shiro back I'll come over, okay?” Hunk said, looking guilty for bailing on his friend. “I swear I came here to hang out with you and I will once this all blows over.”

 

Lance nodded, somewhat reluctantly, but knowing Hunk was right. They wouldn't be able to get to sleep if Hunk were to stay over, probably playing video games or watching movies like the irresponsible adults they were. Plus, there was only the couch and his bed to sleep on and Lance was known for stealing the covers.

 

“We're going to get him back tomorrow,” Lance said once they'd made it to the roof, just because he could. They felt like magical words on his tongue, though he wouldn't lie saying they didn't also make him scared. A lot could go wrong on this mission. They had never broken into a Galra base before.

 

But Hunk just nodded his head in agreement. “We are,” he said before they parted ways. Lance watched his friend turn and go back down the stairs they had just emerged from. Then, Lance got on Blue and they zipped through the sky.

 

Back at his apartment, Lance only had time to strip out of his armor and tug on a pair of sweatpants before he collapsed on his bed. Even so, it was quite some time before he was able to convince his body to sleep.

 

-/-

 

The next morning, Lance doubted he got anymore sleep than Pidge had. And he doubted Pidge had gotten much themself.

 

So, to even it out a bit, Lance downed two cups of coffee before he left that morning, planning on grabbing another cup on the way before he heard a knock at his door.

 

When he answered it, he was surprised to see that it was Keith. 

 

“Morning,” Keith said, though he looked about as tired as Lance felt. His bangs were disheveled to hell and his eyes were blinking much too long for someone who had probably just walked there. Still, he had two cups of coffee in hand from the cafe Lance worked at, so he must have been conscious enough to order that.

 

Lance stepped aside to let his soulmate in, mood lightening a little at his adorably mussed look. Keith held his coffee out to him, which Lance took, before shuffling to the couch. He placed his cup on the coffee table before collapsing onto the cushions.

 

Lance chuckled and made his way over.

 

“Is there a reason you've taken to face planting in the couch on this fine morning, my dear?” He asked in which, in return, he got a muffled groan. Lance sat down next to him, sniffing at his coffee before he drank a long gulp of it. It was good. Really good. Though, even if it hadn't, Lance probably still would have drunk it.

 

“I told you I wouldn't be conscious if I had to wake up this early on a Saturday,” Keith replied after turning his head away from the couch. His eyes were still closed, but his voice was a lot clearer.

 

Then, Lance remembered. He had invited Keith over for breakfast that morning. He'd promised to make his famous french toast.

 

“Oh,” Lance said aloud once he'd remembered. Keith opened one eyelid, eyeing Lance for an explanation.

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah, um, Keith?” Lance said, an apology on his lips. Keith, seeing this, sighed and shut his eye again. “I can't do breakfast this morning. I'm really sorry.”

 

“That's fine,” Keith answered shortly, shrugging his shoulders. Lance had a feeling a lot more was going on in that tired mind of his than he was letting on, but, then again, they both had to cut short their dates so often that it would be weird not to get a little dissuaded by it.

 

“It's just…” Lance tried to explain, but had to think. “Hunk came into town last night and he needs my help with something today. I really am sorry, Keith. I know we had been planning this, but what Hunk needs help with is  _ super _ important.”

 

“That's fine, Lance,” Keith said, eyes still closed. “We can do this later. It's no big deal.”

 

Lance eyed him. “You sure?”

 

When Keith opened his eyes, he sat up too. He reached out and held one of Lance's hands, looking into his eyes. “What about next week?”

 

Lance smiled, soft and relieved. He loved this man.

 

Wait.

 

“Um, yeah,” he choked out, causing Keith to tilt his head in drowsy confusion. “Next week. Saturday. Definitely.”

 

Keith gave him a look before reaching for his coffee on the table. He cradled it in his hands and took a small sip, before looking at Lance again.

 

“Hey, babe. Thanks for the coffee,” Lance said, leaning closer to rest his forehead against Keith's shoulder. Keith laughed a short breath before resting his head on Lance's.

 

“No problem.”

 

_ I’m going to get back Shiro today. _ Lance thought to him, but, of course, Keith did not hear. When Lance looked back up, he didn't move away at seeing how close they suddenly were. In fact, it only made him want to move closer.

 

Once Keith had noticed too, it looked as though all traces of sleepiness had seeped from his being. He stared, wide eyed and as still as possible, as if one sudden action could break it all apart.

 

Lance leaned in slightly and, when that didn't shatter the air around them, leaned in more. Keith's eyes were lowering, his lips parting. He still looked stunned, but also eager. He chanced to lean forward as well, just as Lance went to.

 

When their lips met, Lance was a cliche enough being to call it fireworks in his head. He stayed there for a moment, savoring the feeling, before Keith's lips parted and Lance suddenly wished they weren't holding coffees, wanting to move closer. Their kisses felt warm and comfortable, as well as explosive in a way. When they leaned back, only far enough to catch their breaths and still feel the brush of their lips and the tingle of their colliding breaths, their eyes were locked. Lance took a hand from his cup to place it on Keith’s cheek.

 

Then, his phone rang.

 

They jumped apart as if the fireworks had singed their skin. Lance scrambled for the phone that was spasming in his pocket and, when he peeked at the caller ID, he recognized 'Allura’ and sighed. He picked up quickly.

 

Before Allura could say anything, Lance simply said, “I'm on my way.”

 

She paused, then, “Okay. Do not be long.” Then, she hung up. Lance breathed. She must have noticed that now wasn't a good time for talk. That, or she simply was too stressed.

 

Lance knew he had to go. Now.

 

He looked back at Keith, who was watching him, a blush still burning his cheeks. “I've got to go,” Lance said and Keith nodded.

 

“Yeah,” he croaked before his eyes widened. He cleared his throat and said again, “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

 

Lance jumped up, scrambling around his apartment for what he would need. His backpack had his armor and bayard, as well as a couple other things he might have needed. Blue was probably waiting outside, but, with Keith there, he'd just have to walk.

 

“You can hang here, if you want,” Lance said, coming back into the living room. Keith was still sitting on the couch, though at the very edge of it, as if unsure what he should be doing. “You look tired. Wouldn't want you falling asleep on the bus back,” Lance teased, stepping back toward the couch where Keith watched him from.

 

“I won't fall asleep on the bus,” Keith said, rolling his eyes. Lance grinned.

 

“But you will stay, won't you?”

 

“Why would I stay if you're not here?” Keith asked, obviously confused at the notion.

 

“Mi casa es tu casa,” Lance replied and leaned down to casually kiss him goodbye. Keith stilled as Lance's lips met his forehead and, when Lance pulled away, looked frustrated. Keith pulled him down again and, this time, their goodbye kiss took a bit longer.

 

When Lance pulled away he was feeling a little light headed, but Keith looked satisfied now. Lance cleared his throat.

 

“Um, yeah,” he said, feeling as though he was floating. “Uh, sleep. Lock the door if you leave. Um, yeah.”

 

Keith chuckled and Lance's blush flared.

 

“Later, Lance.”

 

And Keith looked much too smug at that moment and Lance knew he'd have to repay Keith tenfold. If he could take Lance's breath away so easily, certainly Lance could do the same.

 

But, for now, he had some serious work to get to. For Voltron. For Shiro. For Keith.

 

Lance wouldn't come back without Keith’s brother, or without his leader and friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was oddly really proud of that one section with Lance and Pidge??  
> So, I finished this fic a couple days ago fueled by the power of comments and kudos. You guys rock. Now... editing. Lots and lots of editing. *cries*  
> Thank you all so much and I hope to see you in the next chapter!!
> 
> (also!! check out the ASFOS Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsQ0Ho4hiaolGIAZZcFqi0jTUCAF_oWIi )


	3. Chapter 3

“Security?” Allura asked over the comms that sounded through all of their helmets.

 

“Down,” Pidge replied and Lance was relieved to hear their voices, even if he didn't relax a single bit.

 

“Hunk, Lance,” Allura said and Lance was ready, nodding his head and voicing his affirmative. He and Hunk were on opposite sides of the complex, ready to check the halls for their friend. There were no maps on file for the place, at least, that Pidge could find, oddly enough, so, even though they had the footage as a guide, it would take a lot longer to stake out the Kerberos base.

 

Lance made his way through the halls he was assigned, Blue keeping an eye out at his rear and Lance stealthily tracing his steps to make sure he was going the right way and not bumping into anyone. He peeked around corners with his gun, ears out for footsteps, Blue, and transmissions across his helmet speakers. 

 

Out of the three, Blue was the first to alert him to visitors. Lance whipped around, but it seemed they weren't in the hall yet. Quickly, Lance ducked into a nearby room, ushering Blue inside and waiting for the guards to pass. Once they had, Lance let out a long sigh.

 

Then, Blue growled again, but not a cautious, guarded one. A curious, nudging one.

 

“What is it, Blue?” he asked, his voice low as his lion stepped further into the room.

 

“What was that, Lance?” Allura asked and Lance remembered that for this mission they were to keep their comms on the entire time.

 

“Nothing. Talking to Blue. I think she found something,” he replied. 

 

“Okay. Please keep me updated,” Allura requested - more like commanded. Lance agreed and turned back to Blue, going after her.

 

_ What is it? _

 

He pushed the thought toward her and she turned around, giving him a  _ look. _ Then, she turned that look across the room and continued her trek. Lance followed until they met a door.

 

_ Should we go through? _

 

He asked and immediately Blue agreed. Lance tried the door. Locked. There was a simple solution to that.

 

He shot the knob and, hopefully, the lock. Then, he kicked it open, letting it swing freely and stepping through, swinging his gun around as he scanned his surroundings. It seemed his shooting and general ruckus hadn't alerted anyone to his arrival. Goodie.

 

“HQ,” he said, alerting Allura without using her name. When she clicked on, he wasted no time explaining what he and Blue had found. “There's some sort of back hall attached to one of the rooms in the West Wing. Blue and I are going to explore.”

 

Once Allura had given her usual 'thank you. report back when you can’ Lance led himself and Blue down the hall, picking the right first, then, when that ultimately led to a dead end not too far down, traced their steps back.

 

When they arrived back to the scene, the one where he’d utterly destroyed a door, there were two guards already inspecting the scene. One guy was already calling it in when they spotted him.

 

“Shoot,” Lance said and hoisted his gun. He shot the guy making the call first while they other shot at him with his own weapon. The bullet sped past, tinking off his helmet and coming  _ too _ close to shattering his tinted visor. “Um, rude,” Lance frowned and aimed his gun at the aggressor. 

 

Blue was there before Lance could complete his shot, tackling the guy to the ground. Unlike most large cats, she did not bite or claw, but instead pulsed a wave of her energy through him, causing the guard to sink into a deep sleep.

 

“Awesome job, Blue,” Lance congratulated as he ran past. “But we gotta go. They were calling for backup.”

 

As they both ran down the hall, Lance called the incident in, hearing that Hunk was having a similar problem with security. Pidge was heading his way, having heard from Allura what he and Blue had found. Lance trusted Pidge and Green could take care of themselves until they met up, and continued on his way.

 

Then, again, Blue growled and Lance had to stop, almost skidding to slow himself down. When he turned back, Blue was having an intense stare off with another door. When Lance tried it, it was locked too, so he went through the same process.

 

The room they entered was a lot narrower than the last one. And a lot darker and messier as well. There were metal parts and electrical equipment all around, weird glowy tubes and electronic schematics illuminating the walls. In the middle of the room was a bench, something Lance had only ever seen in horror and sci-fi movies.

 

It was for a robot. Or a human. But there was no one in it. In fact, the room looked like it had not been used in a while, despite some recently booted up machines and projectors. 

 

“What is this place?” Lance asked no one in particular. Still, Blue and the three others in his helmet responded.

 

“What?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Is everything okay?”

 

“Yeah yeah. I'm fine,” Lance said. “But I think I found something I definitely wasn't supposed to see.”

 

“What did you find?” Allura asked and Lance reached for his helmet.

 

“Here, I'll send you a picture. You should really check this out,” he said and snapped a few. It took a moment, but eventually Allura was humming.

 

“This is… quite troubling,” she said. “Could I ask you to take more pictures? I need as much information as possible on this.”

 

“But Shiro-” Lance started, only to be cut off by a voice behind him.

 

“Don't worry. I'll keep looking,” Pidge said and Lance nearly jumped out of his skin.

 

“Damn it, Pidge!” He yelled, panting once the situation had caught up with him. They gave him an amused look, but didn't laugh at his expense like they normally would have. Instead, Pidge turned back around.

 

“I'm going to keep looking. I think we're close.”

 

Lance was about to protest, say Pidge would be a lot better at looking through all this tech stuff and he could find Shiro, but something stopped him.

 

They looked determined, even if he couldn't see their face. Lance thought about the countless hours Pidge had put in, not only looking for their brother, but Shiro as well. He thought about how well Pidge probably knew that footage, having watched Matt’s countless times and Shiro’s probably a decent bit in the train ride over.

 

And Lance didn't stop them. This was their fight.

 

“Call for backup if you need me,” Lance let them know and Pidge nodded before disappearing again with Green.

 

So Lance went around the room, taking pictures of anything and everything he could get his hands on. He went about it as quickly as possible, ready for an emergency to come up any minute that would drag him away. He tried not to think about the tools he found in the room, some for sawing and cutting, most could be used for torture, but others had obvious scientific uses. Still, a lot of them could have been used for anything.

 

That's when he found it. A tube from Burke’s Labs.

 

_ But this is all the way from Altea… _

 

Lance thought to himself and picking it up. What was it doing in Kerberos? And what were the Galra using it for?

 

He took a picture of it and pocketed it. This would definitely come into question later. Maybe Shiro would know something about it.

 

Then, taking another look around the room, Lance hoped Shiro wouldn't know a single thing about this place.

 

“I got him!” A voice suddenly came over his comms and Lance shot up. “I found Shiro! Lance, take a left out of that room and go to the furthest hall. Last door.”

 

And, like that, Lance was out of there, determined to help his friend and get Shiro as far away from this place as possible.

 

-/-

 

Shiro was unconscious from the time Pidge had found him to well past getting him to their hotel room in the busy center of Kerberos. It had been no easy task getting away from that place, especially under the weight of the heavy - though really not as heavy as a  _ healthy  _ Shiro would have been - leader the whole way out. Once they were, though, Yellow and Hunk had carried him and they had made their escape.

 

It was odd, though, when Black still hadn't shown up.

 

“Shouldn't he have followed Shiro out? The lions are bonded to us, so Black couldn't have really been captured, but waiting out for him,” Pidge pointed out.

 

“Then why didn't Black come get us?” Hunk asked. “He could have led us right to where Shiro was months ago.”

 

“I don't know,” Pidge admitted and glanced at the wall that connected the two hotel rooms. Shiro was in the opposite one, sleeping away. “It still doesn't really add up.”

 

“Do you think it has anything to do with this?” Lance asked and dug out the vial from his pocket. When he handed it to Pidge, they eyed it, then him.

 

“Where did you get this?”

 

“That creepy room I was taking pictures of. Burke’s Lab. That's the place Red is always stealing from for the Galra. And now that vial just shows up here? Sounds fishy, if you ask me,” Lance said, shrugging. Pidge’s brows furrowed as they examined the vial.

 

“I'll definitely have to do some tests,” Pidge murmured before shooting up, saying distractedly, “I'm going to check on Shiro.”

 

Hunk and Lance murmured their farewells before Pidge disappeared out the door. Then, Lance turned to Hunk.

 

“There's definitely something going on here,” he said and Hunk nodded, almost solemnly.

 

“Yeah, but what?”

 

-/-

 

Everyone was cautious around Shiro when he finally woke up. And, by the time they had all gone back to Altea and arrived at HQ, that carefulness hadn't dissipated in the least.

 

It was hard. There was no denying that Shiro was different now, even when he tried to seem unaffected. He was their fearless leader, their immovable force. But now he had shadows on his face and darkness in his eyes. He had memories that would zone him out for full minutes until someone shook him from it and, when he slept, he had nightmares that would jerk him awake.

 

And those weren't even the most obvious differences in their leader, who had looked so young, even when he had them three to keep up with and a city under his watch. The white in his hair and across his face left all too much to the imagination of what could have happened in those months he had been gone. His arm was something no one, not even Shiro, knew what to think of. He had phantom pains from it and was more than a little self conscious about his ability to use it. He was learning his own body again while struggling to maintain control on his mind.

 

Shiro had been hanging at HQ for a week, reluctant to do anything more than deal for a while. And that was okay. Shiro deserved all the time he could take.

 

It left Lance in a very awkward position when he saw Keith though.

 

Lance knew how to keep things to himself. He could keep this secret from Keith and he could keep his unintended secret that Shiro's brother was his soulmate from Shiro. Just for now. He would keep it secret for now.

 

“Hey, Lance,” Shiro greeted with a smile, walking into HQ’s lounge area as casually as he might have before he'd been taken. It left a bad taste in Lance's mouth to know that Shiro was probably faking for his benefit.

 

“Hey,” Lance faked as well, smiling up at the Black Paladin.

 

Shiro took a seat and threw an arm over the back of the couch, turning slightly to talk to him. “So, I hear you're Altea’s best hero at the moment,” he said, conversationally.

 

This caused Lance to blush and duck his head. “Altea’s  _ only  _ hero, you mean.”

 

“You sell yourself short,” Shiro said. “Altea’s got plenty of heroes, even if they aren't the ‘superpowers gifted by lions’ kind.”

 

“And I'm the best because I'm the only one with a lion in town?” Lance asked, skeptically.

 

“Oh, but I hear that's not true either,” Shiro said intuitively and Lance scratched his neck nervously.

 

“So you've heard about that.”

 

“The Red Lion’s been found. It's kind of a big deal,” Shiro said. Lance nodded. 

 

“And he chose someone working for the  _ Galra _ ,” he pointed out, causing a long pause between the two.

 

He was just about to bring up something else, anything to get away from the conversation of Galra with Shiro, when Shiro spoke up.

 

“It is weird, but I guess we can never know the lion’s true intentions. I think Red must have chosen him for a reason.”

 

Lance looked at Shiro, forehead wrinkling in confusion, when he continued without stop.

 

“The Galra had somehow captured the Red Lion, since he no longer had a bond with anyone. They kept him for themselves until his paladin came. I- I was there when it happened.”

 

Lance gaped at him. “You were there? Wait, do you know who Red  _ is _ ?!” Lance was leaning forward, watching his leader with wide eyes. Shiro shut his eyes, face wrinkling in distress and Lance pulled back.

 

“I don't. It’s- it's all pretty fuzzy. I think I did, but… most of my time there is gone now,” Shiro finally said, still not opening his eyes.

 

Lance gaped again, this more surprising than the last. “You don't remember anything?”

 

Shiro shook his head, finally opening his eyes to look at Lance. “And now the Black Lion is gone too,” he said miserably. For a moment, Lance could see past Shiro’s defenses and knew how deep his leader was hurting.

 

Shiro deserved to forget all of this. Maybe it was for the best he had forgotten his time in the Galra bases. He deserved to go back to his life, see his family, recover in his own way.

 

But, still, no one deserved to be ripped away from their lion. When a paladin and lion bonded, it was as if their souls connected. Soulmates in their own way. Lance couldn't imagine a life without his soulmates. Without Blue. Without Keith.

 

“Shiro…” Lance was saying before he could stop himself. He clamped his mouth shut anyway, but when Shiro looked up, he swallowed and cleared his throat. “I should tell you something. It's not bad… but a heads up is definitely in order and I don't know of this is a good time or if you'd really want to hear it from me first but-”

 

“Lance,” Shiro said, voice lighter now that he had direction and familiarity. Someone to help. A reason to chuckle under his breath because he never could resist laughing at Lance's antics. “It's alright. Just tell me what you need to tell me.”

 

“Okay,” Lance said, taking a large breath. He nodded and sat up straight, looking Shiro dead in the eyes. Shiro started to look apprehensive, but Lance clapped his hands against his legs to release some pent up energy before stating, “Yourbrotherismysoulmate.”

 

Shiro's eyebrows form a solid V at this, confusion dancing in his eyes as he tried to piece together what Lance had said. “I'm sorry; I don't think I got that.”

 

A whoosh of air exited Lance's lungs and he nodded to himself. “Okay, yeah,” he said, trying to convince himself to take it slower. His nerves were off the wall and, yeah, he knew Shiro was a reasonable man, but this was his  _ brother _ they were talking about. “Okay,” he said, nodding  _ once again _ .

 

Shiro waited patiently. That was the great thing about Shiro. He may not always listen to Lance, but he was patient with him. He may treat Lance like a kid at times, but he also knew how to treat him like a person.

 

“Your brother,” Lance tried again, trying to go as slow as possible. “Is my… soulmate.”

 

Lance glanced up immediately after, desperate to see Shiro's reaction. What he found was a plain look of surprise and a somewhat slow uptake. Shiro was always pretty quick about consuming information, even though he took his time to process it. Right now, though, it looked as though the words were still rattling around meaninglessly in his brain.

 

Lance saw the moment they finally clicked in his leader’s head and Shiro blinked at him.

 

“Keith?” He asked simply and Lance felt a smile tug at his face at the name. It turned nervous in two seconds flat once he realized he had to respond. He nodded, not trusting his voice. “Oh,” was all Shiro said, leaning back with a look of light contemplation on his face.

 

“Yep,” Lance answered back, tapping his restless fingers against his thigh. Then, Shiro leaned forward again.

 

“Does he know?”

 

“Know?” Lance asked before it clicked. “About being a paladin?” Shiro nodded his head, which Lance answered back oppositely. “No, he doesn't know I'm the Blue Paladin.”

 

Shiro nodded again, not judgmentally, but accepting. “He doesn't know about me either,” he breathed out, and it sounded like a confession.

 

But, wait…

 

“But Pidge said he did,” Lance said, trying to keep up with his own whirling thoughts. Shiro gave him a puzzled look.

 

“I've never told him,” Shiro said, and, if Lance didn't know better, he would say there were traces of alarm in his voice.

 

Lance bit his lip, unsure really of what to say. He had never directly talked to Keith about it, but Pidge had seemed certain he'd known. Then again, Allura had said he'd known nothing.

 

“Maybe it was a mistake,” Lance offered, thinking it the best choice. There was too much wrong with this, but Shiro didn't need any more stress on his back.

 

“I should probably talk to him,” Shiro said. “Find out for myself. If he knows and I didn't tell him…”

 

“Hey, dude,” Lance said, scooting over to put a hand on his shoulder. It was the kind of thing Shiro was always doing; the kind of thing Lance had picked up on in his absence. “It's okay. I'm sure he doesn't know. How would he if you didn't tell him?”

 

“That's what I'm worried about,” Shiro said, frowning down at the floor before coming to his senses and looking up. He glanced at the hand on his shoulder and then Lance, smiling genuinely. “Thanks, Lance.”

 

Lance blushed and removed his hand, feeling embarrassed having been caught comforting the man who seemed to never need comforting. Still, it felt good to know he had helped.

 

“I need to go see him anyway. And mom,” Shiro said. “They haven't seen me in… months. They must be worried.”

 

Shiro was frowning again and Lance understood. How does one come home from so much unexplained time away? How does one face their family with scars and a new arm, with no memory of all the time they had been gone?

 

“They were,” Lance said, “But I'm sure they can wait just a bit longer. You need to do it when  _ you're _ ready.”

 

Then, Shiro looked up at him, a curious look in his eye. “When did you become so mature?”

 

“Oh god, please stop sounding like my dad,” Lance complained, flopping back on the couch.

 

“Come on, I'm serious!” Shiro laughed. When Lance continued to whine, Shiro let up. “Alright, alright, no more dad.”

 

Lance sat up.  _ “Thank _ you.”

 

“Now,” Shiro said, a smirk on his face and a teasing glint in his eye, “It's time for brother Shiro.” Before Lance could ask if he belonged to a monastery, Shiro continued, leaning forward, “If you hurt my brother…”

 

And, again, Lance flopped down on the couch, groaning.

 

-/-

 

“You look tired as hell,” Lance said when Keith opened the door for him. Keith, naturally, gave him his best death glare, which was somehow more vicious in his exhaustion.

 

“Thanks for noticing,” Keith said, stepping aside to let him into the apartment. Lance came in, inspecting the living room’s messy state and understanding that movie night was probably going to be 'eat take out and pass out on the couch’ night.

 

“Long day?” Lance asked, moving over to clean up a bit while Keith picked up the menu to the Chinese place down the street.

 

“Have I mentioned that I hate my job?” Keith asked, scanning the paper.

 

“Yep, but feel free to go on,” Lance responded, folding a blanket.

 

“I hate my job. Same as always?” He asked, referring to the food.

 

“Yeah. Got a movie in mind?”

 

“Not in the least,” Keith answered, going to find his cell phone in the adjoining room.

 

Lance picked up a couple dishes and brought them to the sink while Keith ordered the food. With the living room cleaned up and the food ordered, the two soulmates met on the couch, Lance picking up the remote and flipping through Netflix while the two conversed on what to watch.

 

Keith was already falling asleep when there was a knock on the door. He had been leaning on Lance when they heard the noise and jumped straight up. Lance had to keep himself from chuckling as he settled Keith back down.

 

“I'll get it,” he told Keith, patting him on the shoulder. Keith nodded sleepily and snuggled back into the cushions. Lance had to hold himself back from voicing a long 'awww’.

 

Instead, he made his way to the door, grabbing his wallet as he passed the counter. When he swung it open, he was ready for teriyaki. Instead, a Takashi greeted him.

 

“Oh,” he said, understanding. Shiro seemed surprised to see him too, but, smartly, decided not to say anything. “Keeiith,” Lance called and turned his head from the door.

 

Keith blinked at him from the couch, seeming to have roused himself somewhat at the promise of food. When he peered over at Lance, a look of confusion crossed his face. Probably from whatever look Lance had on his own.

 

“Yeah?” He asked, his confusion making him look like a lost puppy. Lance pursed his lips, torn between telling Keith how cute he looked and telling him his brother who had been missing for almost a year was at the door. While they were both very important to him, he figured one was obviously a little more.

 

“Could you come here?” Lance asked politely and not at all about to internally combust from the pressure. This reunion was probably something he shouldn't have been there for, but oh well.

 

Lance patiently waited at the door, giving side glances to Shiro as his leader and friend waited in the hallway. Keith made his way over, lazily picking himself off the couch and pouting the whole way.

 

“I'm tired, Lance,” he complained when he drew near, then stopped completely, his eyes focused on something behind Lance. Lance gulped and stepped aside, leaving the two to what was to be quite the reunion. “Shiro?” Keith asked, voice wavering just a bit.

 

“Hey, Keith,” Shiro said, very awkwardly and a lot like those times when he used to not get the dad jokes Pidge, Hunk and Lance made about him.

 

“But- but you-” Keith said, or tried to. Shiro just smiled and held out his arms and, like a little kid, Keith ran into them. Unlike a little kid, he nearly tackled Shiro.

 

Shiro just laughed. “Woah, watch out there,” he said.

 

Keith said something into Shiro's coat that was too mumbled to hear. Shiro had the widest grin on his face that Lance had ever seen.

 

And that was when Lance knew he should probably leave, let the two catch up, cry and talk. As soon as he took a step back though, planning on waiting on the couch in case Keith needed emotional support, Keith lifted his head from his brother's chest and stepped back, wiping his face.

 

“I'm sorry,” his gravelly voice said and Lance paused, looking back at the two.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry about, Keith,” Shiro reassured, but Keith shook his head. Before he could argue again, though, Shiro put in, “No one knew where I was. You couldn't have found me, so don't put that on yourself.”

 

This made Keith pause. He looked up at his brother. “What?”

 

“You heard me,” Shiro said, smiling once more. Still, Keith looked off kilter, perplexed. “Now, are you gonna invite me in? I want to see your new place. You know, I didn't know you were living in Altea now until Mom told me over the phone.” 

 

Lance watched as Keith gave his brother one last perplexed glance before stepping aside and letting him in. When he caught sight of Lance, he guiltily seemed to remember that he was there.

 

“This is Lance,” Keith said, stepping back over to him and taking his hand. “My soulmate.”

 

“I know Lance,” Shiro said and came forward to shake his unoccupied hand. “How are things?”

 

Lance nodded throat feeling dry all of a sudden. “Good.”

 

After that word, Lance felt like the rest of the night danced before him like a dream. The three had dinner once the Chinese food had actually arrived, but, instead of a movie, there was a lot of talk. Shiro showed his brother his arm and explained how he didn't remember most of his time in the Galra base, leaving the reason for his captivity open-ended. Throughout it all, Lance had mostly watched Keith, ready to give a hug or even just a hand squeeze when he needed it. But, the whole time, no looks of shock or horror graced Keith's features. Just discomfort, guilt, and other heavy looks.

 

Lance wondered why, but he supposed people dealt with grief in different ways. Going by the interaction by the door, it seemed Shiro had expected Keith to feel guilty for this, even with it being completely out of his control.

 

Lance had left that night early, leaving the two brothers to catch up and hoping both of them got the rest they needed and well deserved. 

 

On his way back to his apartment, his heart felt light and his pace was leisurely. Looking up at the night sky, he felt a grin spread across his face, remembering the looks of absolute relief and happiness between two brothers reunited.

 

-/-

 

Life in Altea City somewhat winded down with the return of Shiro in their midsts. Keith seemed to relax tenfold at this opportunity.

 

“I quit my job,” he said, approaching their regular table at the diner and swinging into his booth. He looked so excited, testament to what he had said, but, honestly, Lance still thought he'd heard wrong.

 

“What?”

 

“I quit my job,” Keith repeated, equally as amicable. His eyes were lit in a way that Lance had never seen them, hopeful and radiant.

 

“That's awesome!” Lance exclaimed to his boyfriend, wanting to jump up to give him a hug but settling in snatching his hand and giving it a squeeze. Then, because he was so happy for him, Lance planted a big, long kiss to the top of the hand.

 

Keith laughed, pulling his hand away, but not far enough that they weren't still holding. Keith rolled his eyes. “Always theatrics with you,” he said fondly.

 

“Let's celebrate!” Lance said and picked up his menu. “Milkshakes!”

 

“We always get milkshakes,” Keith pointed out and Lance shook his head.

 

“Nuh uh. Not  _ all _ the time.”

 

“Oh  _ really,” _ Keith asked, giving him a look that said 'I see right through you’. Lance didn't grace that comment with a response and went about ordering them milkshakes anyway.

 

Still, even with Shiro’s return, not everything was  _ perfect _ with Altea.

 

Shiro wasn't doing well, which was obvious to anyone with eyes. Black still wasn't back, and, while Keith was undeniably happy to have Shiro again, there was always this unexpected weight to Keith's eyes when they were on his brother. He was scared, Lance could tell. Scared Shiro would disappear again. But there was always so much more to that look than Lance could make out.

 

So, instead of failing at figuring his boyfriend out, Lance comforted him instead. And then Keith would smile again.

 

It wasn't always like that around Shiro though. Sometimes the weight of the past months would be forgotten, if only for a time, and Keith and Shiro would laugh together. They could make each other smile or grow embarrassed with detailed tales of their childhood. Apparently, Keith had been  _ quite _ the wild teenager.

 

“It's usually why people don't adopt teenagers,” Keith had pitched in, clarifying for Lance while his face was still calming down from the blush of Shiro's latest story. “Teenagers in the system have  _ way _ too many issues by that age. The Shiroganes were kind of insane, if you ask me.”

 

“Oh, come on, Keith,” Shiro bumped his brother with his shoulder, “You weren't that bad. Besides, I say it was all worth it.”

 

And then, as always, there were Lance's duties as a hero, which had surprisingly calmed of Galra activity lately.

 

“Yes, thank you and thank you,” Lance said, walking up to the bank’s latest robber who was pinned in a corner by Blue. They were definitely some regular person, going by the typical bank robber ski mask and the fact that they had dropped their bag of cash while being chased around by a magical blue lion. Probably their first robbery by the looks of it. Maybe this would teach them.

 

When the police had arrived, Lance had handed the perpetrator over and taken off with Blue, quite bored with the situation. Don't get him wrong, a little off time was great. And a calm Altea was surely a happy one, right?

 

But he couldn't stop thinking about Red and why he hadn't shown up lately.

 

The Galra had to be planning something. Something with those vials from Burke’s Lab. Maybe they had enough now for whatever it is and Red didn't have to go out anymore.

 

But another part of his brain liked to nag at him, tell him that there could be something else. The part that liked to think, ideally, that Red might not be everything he thought.

 

The Red Lion had picked him after all.

 

“Blue,” he asked on their way home. “What do you think of Red?”

 

Her response, as always when regarding the paladin or lion, was too much for Lance to fully grasp. Too many emotions and messages at once. Lance sighed.

 

“Yeah, alright.”

 

-/-

 

Lance woke one night to an empty bed. While this was not unusual, he knew for a fact that Keith had spent the night. So Lance blinked awake and sat up, looking around to see if his boyfriend had gone to the restroom or kitchen for a cup of water.

 

Instead, Lance's eyes caught on the drawn curtain of his balcony and a figure outside. What was Keith doing up at this hour?

 

So Lance carefully got out of bed, shivering without the warmth of the covers, but grabbing a large sweatshirt to keep warm before he opened the sliding glass door. Keith immediately turned around.

 

“Sorry, did I wake you?” He asked, looking back from where he leaned on the railing. Lance shook his head and went to join him, the two side by side, looking up at the night sky. It was too lit to see much, being in the center of a busy city that never slept, but a few stars poked out for them to see.

 

“You okay?” Lance asked softly, voice soft from the night and his recent sleep. “Why are you awake? Isn't it, like, three?”

 

Keith shrugged, continuing to look up. “Couldn't sleep.”

 

Lance nodded but didn't say anything. He felt like, in the night, it was easier to understand each other without words.

 

Then, Keith sighed. “Things have been going well lately,” he said plainly. Lance shot a glance at him.

 

“And?”

 

A shrug. “They're just going well,” Keith said. “It's weird.”

 

“How is it weird that things are going well? Isn't that the goal?” Lance asked and Keith considered with pursed lips.

 

“I guess,” he admitted, “But, I can't help feeling I'm going to mess it up somehow, you know?”

 

At this, Lance's eyes went wide. Keith was always so closed off, it was weird to hear him speak so openly. It felt nice that Keith was able to trust him with this.

 

“You're not going to mess it up,” Lance reassured and Keith shot him a grateful smile, even if it still looked like he didn't believe the statement one-hundred percent.

 

But Lance had meant it. Keith wouldn't mess this up; there was no way he could mess it up. If anything, Lance would be the one to screw it all up. He was always ducking out at random times and keeping secrets.

 

What if he told Keith one day and he never forgave him for keeping such a big secret from him?

 

Suddenly, Lance pointed toward the night sky, a star grabbing his attention. When he connected it to surrounding stars, he could almost make up what it was he was looking for.

 

“Leo,” he said.

 

“What?” Keith asked, taken off guard by the sudden exclamation. Lance’s arm stayed, unwavering.

 

“Leo. The Lion.” And, with those words, Lance thought he was giving up a little part of himself. When he looked up, he saw Blue traced in that constellation, noble and proud. She was just as important to him as Keith was, and, even if he wasn't ready to tell his soulmate outright, he could introduce her to him in this way.

 

“I thought you said you didn't know any constellations,” Keith said, throwing a cheeky grin his way.

 

“I looked her up,” Lance responded, unashamed. “I thought, since you shared one with me, I could share one with you.”

 

Keith hummed, looking up. Lance knew he was searching, so he moved over to help. In the same way Keith had helped him with Cygnus, Lance murmured instructions and traced their arms across the sky for Leo.

 

“Why Leo?” Keith asked, having found the collection of stars by then.

 

A great weight shook his chest, but Lance tried not to be too affected. “I like lions,” he stated simply, feeling a mass of truths swirling around his mouth and ready to fall out. He swallowed them down.

 

“Oh,” Keith said and there was something in his voice. “Yeah, I like lions too.”

 

And, Lance realized, pulled away from his own pool of kept secrets, that Keith sounded like that too. Like he could say so much more, had so much to tell, so much he was  _ scared _ to tell, but didn't.

 

Lance wondered how well he really knew his soulmate.

 

But, Keith was right; things we're going good between then. Why mess that up? Why ask more than he was willing to share himself?

 

Keith would tell him when he was ready, just like Lance would too.

 

-/-

 

Lance was beyond nervous as he waited for Keith at the pizza place they had discussed visiting a while ago. It was between shifts at both of their jobs so they had finally found the time to eat there together, much to Lance's excitement. He'd heard the place served really good deep dish.

 

But it wasn't excitement exactly that ebbed at Lance's nerves that moment. At least it wasn't the biggest thing. Lance had something a lot bigger to worry about.

 

_ Is it too early? It's too early. What will Keith think? He's probably going to be freaked out. Or maybe he’ll be cool with it, right? I mean, we've been dating for three months. Things have settled since Shiro got back. And it's not like it's super sudden… _

 

“What the hell, McClain?” he mumbled, dropping his face into his hands.

 

“I think the same thing everyday,” a voice said behind him, causing him to jump.

 

“Keith!” he exclaimed, watching his boyfriend take the seat across from him, smirking like he was actually  _ pleased _ to have caused Lance a mini heart attack. Or maybe it was from his joke.

 

“Yeah. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be here or this might be very awkward,” Keith responded, picking up his menu.

 

Lance scoffed. “Smart ass.”

 

Another smirk from Keith. “So, have anything in particular you wanted to try from this place?”

 

“Did you bring your lactose pill thingies?”

 

“Oh, look.  _ Now _ you're concerned with my health and somehow not the countless times I was drinking milkshakes at the diner,” Keith teased and Lance pointed one long finger across the table.

 

“How was I supposed to  _ know? _ That's totally unfair!”

 

Keith shrugged, looking much too pleased with himself for poking fun at his boyfriend. “I call it like I see it.”

 

“So I'm going to take that as you  _ did _ bring your pills,” Lance looked at his own menu, firmly ignoring Keith's infuriatingly cute smirk. “And you want extra cheese?”

 

“And you want either some horrible concoction of peppers and mushrooms and chicken or pepperoni,” Keith answered in kind, closing his menu and leaning back, affixing him with a look.

 

“I'm feeling horrible today,” Lance said, closing his own menu. “Half and half?”

 

“Yep.”

 

And it really was that simple for them to order. Lance was glad it was one of those days because it was either this easy between them or would take approximately one and a half hours to decide what they wanted and neither had much time for their lunch breaks.

 

Plus, as Lance now remembered taking a break from their bickering and teasing, he had other things to take up his time than arguing over what to eat.

 

“So, how's work?” Lance asked, shifting in his seat. Keith’s eyes were attracted to the movement, taking note of it immediately, but, thankfully, he decided not to comment on it.

 

“Going well, I guess,” he said noncommittally.

 

“Better than the last one?” Lance asked, somewhat teasingly. It was obvious to anyone with ears how much Keith had hated his old job.

 

Lance didn't expect to see Keith averting his gaze to the table, though the vigorous nodding was more to speed. “Definitely. That place sucked.”

 

_ Three months is too soon, isn't it? They need a manual for this kind of stuff. _ Lance thought, still occupied by his predicament.

 

“What about you?” Keith asked.

 

Lance nodded. “Serving coffee is certainly a dream,” he answered. To be honest, he was surprised he'd been able to keep that job all this time. There had been plenty of close calls through the past months, but it turned out management there was really forgiving.

 

“Alright, what's up?” Keith asked suddenly and Lance panicked a little, head jerking up and eyes wide as he regarded his boyfriend squinting at him.

 

Lance coughed into his hand, trying in vain to cover up his incriminating reaction. “What do you mean?”

 

“Lance,” Keith said, evidently done.

 

“What?” and Lance did that shaky smile/shaky shrug thing that so obviously meant he was hiding something. Keith gave him a very flat look.

 

“For one,  _ that _ ,” he pointed out and Lance deflated. “For another, I asked about work and you didn't go on a twenty minute speal about some customer or coworker or spilling coffee on your shoes or a broken machine that most  _ certainly _ wasn't your fault.”

 

Lance didn't look up from the table, frowning and grumbling, “It isn't always twenty minutes…”

 

“Okay, maybe not,” Keith relented. “And I'm not complaining about hearing it either. I'm wondering why I'm  _ not  _ hearing it now.”

 

“Maybe work just wasn't that eventful today,” Lance dismissed, finger tapping the table and avoiding all attempts at eye contact. He knew he wasn't convincing anyone, but he needed time. He wasn't supposed to bring it up like this. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. “I'll let you know if any hot drama happens the second half of the day.”

 

“Pssh. You always have something though, no matter how minimal,” Keith says before pausing. “Lance, you know you can tell me if something's wrong, right? As cliche as that sounds.”

 

At this, Lance snorted. “Leave it to you to point out the clicheness of an encouragement.”

 

“I'm wired for it. But don't think changing the subject is going to drop this one.”

 

“Keith, it's fine. I'm fine. Seriously,” Lance said, hoping to placate his boyfriend. Predictably, it doesn't do much.

 

Keith folded his arms across his chest and leaned back, eyeing Lance.

 

“It's just…” Lance started, then clamped his mouth shut. A glint lit Keith's eyes.

 

“Just what?”

 

“Ugh,” Lance groaned, letting his face fall into his hands again. “This was so not how I wanted this to go.”

 

“Wanted this to…” Keith said, processing the words. “Wait. Wanted  _ what _ to go?”

 

“Okay, okay,” Lance raised his head and spread his hands in front of him, palms toward Keith like he was trying to calm him, or surrender, or beg for more time. “So, I've been thinking. And we hang out a lot, right? I mean, we've been dating for three months, known each other for four. Uh shit, that makes it sound like a short time, doesn't it? Shit.”

 

Keith sat there, a concentrated look of confusion etched to his face. “I don't understand… Yeah, we've been together a while. Whether it's a short time is kind of relative…”

 

“Alright, thanks Keith,” Lance said. “What I  _ meant _ is that… well… I was going to ask…”

 

“Going to ask?” Keith prompted and Lance was suddenly aware of how long he'd been trying to get these simple few words out.

 

“Damn it,” he finally decided, looking up, determined. “Keith, do you want to move in with me?”

 

And Lance could have sworn it grew so quiet in that restaurant then that he could hear the flapping of the wings of a pigeon outside. Lance froze. Keith froze. The entire restaurant held its breath.

 

Then, it broke and the amicable chatter filled the restaurant again. The waiter came to their table to serve the pizza, receiving distracted 'thank you’s as he left. Keith’s eyes hadn't left Lance the entire time, forehead crinkled in contemplation. 

 

Lance sat nervously, feeling as if a millennium had passed when only a few minutes had. Still, what in the hell was Keith even thinking about?

 

“Um… Keith?” Lance asked worriedly, waving in his face to snap him out of what must have been a daze. Keith's eyes snapped wider, starting when he came to. “You gonna answer, or…”

 

What Lance wasn't going to say was how nervous he was for said answer. What he wasn't going to say were words trying to take it back because this had so obviously been a mistake.

 

What Lance  _ was  _ going to do was hold his tongue. And  _ wait _ .

 

“Answer?” Keith asked, then seemed to realize he hadn't said anything this entire time. “Oh! Oh. Yeah, yeah. Um, yes.”

 

Lance's own face now wrinkled in confusion and he tilted his head. “What?”

 

“Yes. I mean yes, I will move in with you.”

 

“Oh,” Lance said smartly, taking his turn to process the conversation. “Okay.”

 

“Okay,” Keith replied, nodding his head. He still seemed like he was looking to Lance for some sort of reaction, so Lance mirrored the head nodding.

 

Then, they both kind of paused, looked at each other, and simultaneously broke into wide grins.

 

-/-

 

**Allura** : burke's

 

The text came in while Lance was at work, rush hour. It couldn't have come at a worse time.

 

“Shit, shit,” he cursed, looking at the phone under the counter as the quickly expanding line rested impatiently on the other side of the register. Someone cleared their throat and Lance stuffed the device in his pocket. “Sorry, one moment,” Lance said and turned to Florona.

 

She froze in her preparation of a caramel latte, seeing the look on Lance's face. “Oh no,” she said.  _ “No. _ Lance!” she pleaded, but Lance pleaded too.

 

“Flora, please. It's an emergency.”

 

“It's always an emergency,” she argued, looking disgruntled. “And I'm always covering for you.”

 

She was right, of course. Lance had certainly abused her kindly nature to sneak out for paladin duties, but he didn't have much choice here! “Please. I'll make it up to you! Pizza? Coffee?”

 

Florona sighed, waving him off. “Don't worry about it. But you  _ do _ owe me one.”

 

Lance was already throwing off his apron, skirting to the end of the counter. “I owe you a  _ million, _ Flora! Thanks so much! Sure you got this crowd?”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, getting ready to man the horrible line ahead of her. “I'll call in a friend. Get going, McClain.”

 

Lance blew her a generous kiss and waved as he bolted out the door. Guilt weighed heavily on him but he couldn't dwell on it for too long. He had to get to the park. And then to Burke’s.

 

Because Burke’s meant one thing. One person he hadn't seen in over a month now.

 

_ Red. _

 

-/-

 

“Ah, good of you to show up, Blue,” a snotty, pompous voice greeted him when he'd burst into the main laboratory at Burke’s. He knew that voice all too well. It was also not who he had been expecting.

 

“Lotor,” he said, evening his stance as he stared down his opponent. Lotor wore a helmet to cover his face, much like the paladins did, but his suit was purple and red and black, somewhat like Red’s, Lance now noticed. He wasn't holding a duffle bag like Red usually would have been once Lance got there. In fact, he wasn't holding anything but a gun, long sword at his hip. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Wouldn't you like to know?” Lotor asked, spinning his gun idly.

 

“And, to think, I thought I'd been lucky enough that I wouldn't have to see you ever again. Where is Red, anyway?”

 

“Red?” Lotor asked, cocking his head. “Oh. Because he has the Red Lion. Quite the ally we have, wouldn’t you agree? Turns out paladins aren't always good.”

 

“Guess not,” Lance said, voice easy, yet thoughts anything but. He still couldn't stop his mind from  _ wondering _ . He wanted to know  _ why _ the Red Lion had picked that guy.

 

And, though Lance would never admit it, he was kind of hoping he hadn't seen Red in so long because he wasn't working with the Galra anymore. A dumb hope, but he couldn't stop it's rapid growth once it had taken root in his thoughts.

 

“Don't worry, Paladin,” Lotor said then, a smug sound to his voice that Lance wanted to wipe clean. “Your  _ Red _ will be back again. And soon.”

 

Unexpectedly, a little ball dropped in Lance's stomach as he processed this. His little hope, shattered.

 

And, what's worse, a feeling surged up to him suddenly. The feeling to  _ protect _ .

 

But Lance swallowed those emotions down. “Tell him I'm ready whenever he is.”

 

“Will do, Paladin,” Lotor answered easily. “Now, if you'll excuse me…”

 

Then, Lotor tugged on a cord Lance hadn't noticed he had on him and ascended upward. Lance looked up and spotted two others, manning the contraption. Of course there would be more people. There to protect their precious Prince.

 

But that had never stopped Lance before.

 

So he lunged.

 

-/-

 

“Blue, what do you think Lotor meant?” Lance asked his lion, both of them resting on a rooftop of a building. Lance hated sitting on the skyscrapers, but lower, more manageable sized buildings were better for looking out over the town and spending time with his lion.

 

“He said Red would be back,” he continued, knowing better than to wait for a response from Blue if she didn't have an immediate opinion. She was much too wise for rushed opinions. “But we haven't seen him in a while. Do you think Lotor was bluffing?”

 

Blue purred beside him, but didn't say anything worth noting.

 

“It's stupid that I'm so hung up on this, isn't it? Red works for the Galra. That's all there is to it.”

 

Blue brushed his mind, feeding into his skepticism of that fact. Lance felt relieved she agreed, making him feel a little less crazy.

 

“But the  _ Red Lion _ picked him. He  _ has _ to have some good in him. Maybe he needs the money. Maybe they're blackmailing him. Maybe they're  _ brainwashing him _ .”

 

Blue laughed at this idea and Lance fell backwards, back against the roof, and groaned. “You're not helping, Blue.” he sighed. “I just want to help him if he needs it, you know? Something is off about this whole thing.”

 

Lance almost didn't register it when Blue said something, low and grumbling. He would have narrowed his eyes at the attitude if she hadn't made such a great point.

 

_ Then do something about it. _

 

Lance sighed.

 

“I hate how you're always right.”

 

-/-

 

Lance's mood must have carried over to the evening because Keith definitely noticed not long after Lance had arrived back at their apartment. He had been able to get back to work not long after talking to Blue on that rooftop and even covered one of Florona’s shifts. This made him feel a bit better about that whole ordeal, but Red never left the back of his mind for the rest of the day.

 

“Hey, babe,” Keith greeted him. Keith didn't use nicknames much and Lance swore it was on purpose because, when Lance didn't expect them, his face turned all shades of red. 

 

Lance caught a small smirk on his boyfriend’s face when he leaned in to kiss him, only further sealing his suspicions.

 

“I made food,” Keith said casually. Much  _ too _ casually for a statement like that.

 

“You made  _ what _ ?” Lance asked, in simultaneous alarm and awe. Keith, you see, was an expert at many things. Cooking ramen, for instance. Or martial arts, as he'd once demonstrated to a Lance who had  _ not _ been expecting it long ago. Getting taken down was surprising in whatever situation you found yourself in. Having Keith's face that close had also been quite a surprise at the time.

 

“Just sit down, idiot,” Keith said and went into the kitchen. Lance hopped up on a bar stool and watched his boyfriend scoop something out of a pot into two bowls. His mind wandered, just as it had been doing all day. When Keith sat next to him, he gave him a funny look. “Everything okay?”

 

Lance took his bowl and nodded mutely, sticking the offered spoon into what looked like chili. “Just a long day.”

 

Keith frowned but nodded, accepting his answer. They both ate in silence and Lance didn't even comment on how bland the food was. Lance preferred his chili spicy, but Keith's chili was alright. He wasn't used to cooking anyway.

 

Keith, though, seemed to think very differently.

 

“Why aren't you complaining about the food?” He asked warily and Lance's head shot up.

 

“Meanie,” he said, stirring around his chili a bit. “I don't complain  _ all _ the time.”

 

“You do when you know we have hot sauce in the fridge. Which you do. So what's the deal?”

 

Lance hesitated for a second, then looked up at his boyfriend. He was slumped over the counter while Keith was ramrod straight, staring worriedly. Lance smiled and took his hand, pressing it to his cheek. “Sorry, babe. I'm zoning out. Really, I'm alright.”

 

Keith chewed on his lip, considering this, before turning back to his own food. “I guess I'll complain  _ for you _ then. This chili sucks.”

 

“Aw, Keith,” Lance said, a small, but genuine smile ghosted his lips. “Don't be so down. Not all of us can be master chefs.”

 

“Like you?” Keith asked, sounding way to skeptical.

 

Lance scoffed. “Excuse you. I am an excellent cook. Though, when you meet Hunk, I'm afraid you'll never let me cook for you again. Let me tell you, though. Hunk's got a soulmate already, so don't get any bright ideas.” Lance waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Keith bumped him.

 

“Don't be an idiot. I wouldn't trade you for good food,” Keith said.

 

“Well, you haven't tasted Hunk’s food,” Lance said, but, inside, he was blushing like a fool.

 

“Hm… you're right. Maybe I'd trade you. It's becoming more and more of a possibility as I eat this chili.”

 

“ _ Your _ chili,” Lance reminded him.

 

“And  _ you're _ letting me eat it. Doesn't sound like a very great soulmate move to me.”

 

Lance laughed. “You're impossible.”

 

“Impossible  _ is _ my middle name.”

 

“Oh my god,” Lance said, kind of horrified. “That is so cheesy.”

 

_ “You're _ my soulmate,” Keith said. “I had to have  _ some _ cheesiness in me.” 

 

Lance laughed, then paused, his thoughts shifting once again.

 

“Hey, Keith?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Um, say that you knew someone. And you… you think something's wrong with them. Not  _ with them _ , I guess. Just, their situation?” Lance asked. Keith hummed, listening. “And, you see, you wanna figure it out. Why they act the way they do when you think they don't actually  _ want _ to act like that? Um, not sure if I'm making any sense…”

 

“You are. I think I understand,” Keith responded, poking at his chili with his spoon. He spoke as if to his bowl, but Lance knew that just meant he was deep in thought. “Maybe they're hiding something? People act differently all the time when they're hiding thoughts or feelings or whatever.”

 

“Well…” Lance said, thinking his words through carefully. “They  _ are _ probably hiding something. But I want to figure out what. And maybe help them.”

 

Keith was silent for a while. Their chili had probably gone cold but neither cared. “That could be tricky,” Keith finally responded. “Some people have things buried deep. And there isn't just one way to figure it out. But, if I know you, I know you can help them.”

 

Lance blinked at his boyfriend, surprised with the small admission. Then, smiled. “Thanks, Keith.”

 

Keith looked up at him, a determined look on his face. “Be careful, though.”

 

Lance furrowed his brows, perplexed. “Careful?”

 

“Some people don't want help. Or, maybe they do, but they push it away anyway. People are complex,” Keith said and Lance had to process this for a second. This. Coming from Keith. Who had all the trouble with figuring people out. “And you're really kind, Lance. You want to help  _ everyone _ and that can be hard. Sometimes, you try to help someone and you get so wrapped up in it that you can't find a way out.”

 

“Keith…?” Lance said, unsure really where he was going. But there was something here. Something Keith wasn't saying. Something Lance  _ should _ say but didn't know what that might be.

 

“Just… think of yourself too, Lance. And be careful,” Keith said, eyes boring into his own. Determined and kind of pleading in a way.

 

So Lance nodded, if only to take that look from Keith’s face. For the rest of dinner, Lance thought about those words and their warning. To be careful trying to figure out Red. How something could go wrong in his endeavor.

 

But Lance knew he was already in too deep to back out now. He had to find out the man behind Red’s mask. He had to know why the Galra had him doing their bidding. He had to know the secret behind the Red Lion and his paladin.

 

-/-

 

“I can't believe it. I guess what they say about soulmates is true,” Shiro snorted and Lance looked over. They were in the living room, Shiro having come over while Keith was still at work. Lance didn't mind. He hadn't seen Shiro in a while, actually.

 

“What? How they move really fast in relationships?” Lance asked, feeling a bit self conscious all of a sudden.

 

Shiro shook his head. “How soulmates bond quickly. Moving in together just shows it. Believe it or not, this would usually be way out of Keith's comfort zone.”

 

“Seriously?” Lance asked, raising a brow. He could believe it with Keith's trust issues, but, still, it kind of jarred him to hear it.

 

“Yeah. You'd think he would have become indifferent to it with how he grew up, but he really doesn't like change. When I decided to go to college in Altea, he wouldn't talk to me for a month.”

 

“A  _ month _ ?” 

 

Shiro nodded. “True story. It just goes to show that he really trusts you. I can tell.” 

 

“Oh,” Lance replied lamely and his shoulders scrunched up. He almost didn't miss Shiro’s forlorn look, there and gone in a flash, that he sent down to his arm. Shiro was wearing short sleeves, having put his coat by the door. He was still self conscious over it, but he'd become more comfortable around close friends in displaying his arm.

 

Suddenly, something in Lance's mind clicked and he had to keep himself from gasping. To be certain, he checked Shiro's other arm. From what he could tell, it was bare.

 

Shiro's words had been on that arm. His soulmate mark was gone.

 

Lance swallowed. “Your mark,” he said. To be honest, he wasn't completely sure about bringing it up, but he couldn't stop himself.

 

Shiro looked down at the arm again and grimaced. “So you noticed that.”

 

Lance nodded, silently watching Shiro trace a hand across his forearm, as if he could feel the words that were supposed to be there underneath. Lance wondered what the words were, but he didn't dare ask.

 

“I kinda wish I remembered the last time I saw those words,” Shiro said. “I mean, believe me, I'm relieved I don't remember…  _ that…  _ but I miss seeing them.”

 

“Do you remember  _ anything?” _ Lance asked and immediately regretted it as Shiro's face went darker.

 

“Bits and pieces. Nothing definite,” he said, leaning back into the couch. “I see the place I was held or the room where they…” Shiro lifted his arm to indicate and Lance nodded to show his understanding. “I don't remember any people, how I got there. I remember pain and voices and light. That's pretty much it.”

 

Lance swallowed, content on letting the topic drop. He could tell it was painful, even if he didn’t remember all that much, for Shiro to recall. He said he remembered the pain...

 

“But, it's weird,” Shiro continued, to Lance’s surprise. “I’m having these nightmares too and, usually, I just dream about things I remember from there. But these nightmares…  _ Keith  _ is there. And the Galra have him. And he's pleading with them and I can't do anything to help. I keep thinking he  _ shouldn't be there _ , but I always see him.” 

 

There was a haunted expression on Shiro’s face and Lance could understand why. Just thinking about Keith there - just the possibility - made Lance’s heart constrict. Lance knew being his soulmate and all would put Keith in potential danger. Hell, Keith had been in danger just by relation to Shiro. But Lance couldn’t even imagine Keith at the mercy of the Galra. It was something Lance vowed right then would never come to happen.

 

Then, Shiro sighed and shook his head, drawing Lance’s attention back and out of his own head. “I'm sorry, Lance. You don't need to hear this stuff.”

 

Lance frowned, shaking his head at his friend. “Don't, Shiro. Don’t talk like that. You  _ need _ to talk to someone about this. And I  _ want _ to hear. You don't think we're worried about you? Let me tell you, when we don't know how hurt you really are, we only worry more.” 

 

Still, Shiro looked up, unconvinced. He may act level-headed and responsible, but was just as headstrong as his brother. “I’m fine. Really. It isn’t something any of you should have to worry about.”

 

“And yet you’re allowed to worry after us?” Lance shot back without mercy. “You’ve looked after us for years.”

 

Shiro smiled then and shook his head, looking carefully at Lance. Lance hadn’t been expecting the reaction, but it was undeniably Shiro. “I worry after you because I can’t help it. But I suppose you’re right. You guys probably can’t help it either.”

 

“Of course we can’t. We’re family, Shiro.”

 

“A big superhero family,” Shiro laughed, then looked up, still smiling but a little more serious. “Thanks, Lance.”

 

“No problem, man,” Lance said sincerely, then, deciding Shiro had had enough grilling for one day, looked over his shoulder toward the apartment door. “It’s weird. I could have sworn Keith got off early today.”

 

Shiro shrugged. “That’s what he told me, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he forgot. I’ve spent more time waiting around for Keith throughout the years than you would believe.”

 

Lance laughed and agreed, delving into more, lighter conversation with his leader, mentor, friend. Someone he hoped would heed his advice and, if not talk to  _ him _ , talk to  _ someone _ . In the back of Lance’s mind, he worried after Shiro and Keith in turn. He was starting to seriously wonder where the hell Keith could be.

 

These worries didn’t last too long, though, because about ten minutes later, they heard the locks on the door turn and someone stepped into the apartment, looking a bit worn and disheveled, but altogether, Keith. At first, Lance dismissed his soulmate’s dishevelment on his typical uncare for his appearance and the windy weather outside as he picked himself off of the couch to greet him. At approaching Keith, though, it was hard to miss the stress stretching his face in unusual places and laying heavily in his eyes.

 

“Hey, babe,” Lance greeted, taking the man into his arms. He felt Keith sigh against him, but he didn’t relax. He was trying to pretend, like some martyr, that everything was fine. Lance had his work cut out for him with these two siblings.

 

“Hey,” Keith said against his neck, which was approximately when he must have spotted his brother because he stiffened and pulled away. “Oh my gosh. I forgot you were coming over.”

 

“Yeah, we figured,” Shiro responded, unfazed. “I think I’m going to head back, though, so maybe dinner another night?”

 

Lance paused. But Shiro had waited all this time for Keith to return home…

 

“Yeah… okay…” Keith sounded reluctant, but too tired to protest. Lance looked between the two and realized Shiro must have seen it too. Of course Shiro would notice how tired his brother looked. Even a stranger might have at this point, much less someone who had known Keith probably the longest out of anyone.

 

So Shiro collected his coat at the door and gave them both hugs, bidding them pleasant farwells before disappearing. Keith was left frowning at the door when he left and Lance took his hand. “Long day?”

 

Keith blinked, looking back to Lance. “A little bit,” he admitted, shrugging. “Sorry for not letting you know I’d be home late. I got caught up in… things.”

 

“Is everything alright?” Lance asked then, picking up on a distinctly unhappy vibe from Keith. He stepped closer, trying to read his boyfriend’s eyes, but Keith averted them.

 

“Of course. Just tired,” he swallowed hard and Lance knew it was a lie. He did Keith the grace of not prying… for now.

 

“Let’s get something to eat before bed then,” Lance decided and Keith nodded his head. As he led his boyfriend to the kitchen, poking fun with little quips and prods, trying to get him to smile, Lance could feel something growing in his chest.

 

A weird feeling. It had no reason for settling there. Things had been good - great - lately. This one little blip didn’t mean anything. People had bad days. Keith could have bad days and there was no reason for Lance to feel like it was the end of the world.

 

But he didn’t like seeing Keith this way. Like he had before they’d found Shiro. Like he was tied and helpless. Like something dark was tearing at him that he could tell no one of.

 

But that wasn’t exactly it either. This feeling, sinking deep in his chest, like he could reach down and never find its bottom, like falling down the ocean into the Marianas Trench, grasping for anything to stop his fall. The feeling was doom, like impending destruction, like it was bunkering down, waiting for the end. The end of these good days, the end of something nice.

 

And waiting for the start of something he couldn’t control.

 

Something about today felt like reappearing on the other side of the eye of the storm.

 

Keith met his eyes again, standing in the middle of the kitchen, and Lance probably stood there for way too long looking into them.

 

There was something there too. Something that reflected Lance’s shaken thoughts. But, in Keith, he wasn’t waiting for the start, wasn’t waiting for the end of their security in the eye of this storm.

 

For Keith, things were just beginning again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this week's chapter a little early because I'm the author and I can do what I want (ง •̀_•́)ง  
> Hope you guys liked it and thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

“No…”

 

A noise stirred Lance from sleep, but only barely. He was shallowly wading through his dreams, ready to be pulled back under any moment. He didn’t bother opening his eyes, but shifted closer to the heat source beside him. _Keith_ , he thought faintly.

 

“No…” the noise came again, and Lance registered it was the same noise. A word. Things processed slowly in his sleep addled mind, but the lull back under was so inviting… “No. _Please_ …”

 

Lance’s eyes opened ever so slightly, the world dark around him but for the faint light of the city and the night sky shining through the curtains. It was still chilly, despite the spring approaching, but the blanket across them was thick and cozy. Lance gripped it with one hand, swimming through his mind space and trying to escape the pull of slumber.

 

“Please… pl-” the voice came again, only to cut off at a whimper. Lance’s eyes darted across the bed, still not completely awake, but enough to be worried.

 

“Keith?”

 

Keith was breathing heavily, not the steady, deep breaths of sleep, but sharp intakes and exhales. Keith was farther away from him than Lance had thought, so he pulled himself closer, placing a hand on his soulmate’s shoulder. One touch seemed to shatter the thin wall between dream and consciousness for Keith.

 

“Shiro!”

 

Keith bolted awake, even sitting up like he was ready to fight. Lance followed him up, holding that shoulder again after it had been ripped out of his grip. “Keith. It’s alright. Just a bad dream. Keith?”

 

Keith was breathing rapidly still, but he seemed to be calming as he looked around and took in exactly where he was, shaking the dream off. He looked at Lance and leaned ever so subtly into his grip, though he held himself back, unable to succumb to the comfort completely.

 

He let out one last shaky breath and clenched his hands before him. His shoulders, his grip, his whole being was tense, holding itself together.

 

“Hey,” Lance breathed, scooting again closer. He didn’t touch anymore than the shoulder his hand was already on, but leaned close. “You okay?”

 

Keith nodded vigorously, shutting his eyes tight. Then, he looked up, schooling his expression. “Yeah. Sorry.”

 

“No, no,” Lance shook his head. “It’s alright. Not like you can control your nightmares.”

 

Keith didn’t say anything to that, so the two sat in silence for some time. Eventually, Lance made his way into a hug with Keith, who finally gave in and leaned heavily against him. He was still tense though. Finally, they had been sitting in silence for some time before Lance gave in and said something.

 

“What were you dreaming?” he asked, knowing it was probably personal, but feeling like he’d come far enough where he could ask something like that. Even if he could never _expect_ an answer. Keith said nothing, something Lance wasn’t particularly surprised with. Still, he was curious. He couldn’t help… “You said something about Shiro.”

 

Keith immediately stiffened against him. He buried his head in Lance’s chest, avoiding his eyes. Lance frowned and pulled back, causing a small, displeased note to emit from Keith. He looked up, his eyes a black hue in the night, and sighed.

 

“Yeah, it was about Shiro. Can we not talk about it though?” There was a plea to Keith’s tone, taking Lance aback and he looked at his boyfriend. Slowly, Lance nodded and took Keith back into his arms.

 

“It’s okay,” Lance mumbled against the top of Keith’s head. “He’s back. Shiro’s not going anywhere.” It was merely a guess as to what Keith could have been dreaming, but Lance thought it was a pretty accurate one.

 

“Lance?” Keith asked and Lance hummed in reply. There was a long pause where Keith shifted uncomfortably, grabbing the front of Lance’s shirt tighter. Lance looked down, scrutinizing Keith’s face but unable to discern what was going on there.

 

The pause between Keith's words went on for so long that, if Lance hadn't been watching his face, he'd think Keith had fallen asleep again. Instead, he pursed his lips and waited.

 

Then, much to Lance's disappointment, Keith sat up and shook his head. “Nevermind.”

 

“Wha-” Lance tried to interject, his eyebrows coming down to a furrowed angle.

 

“Remember when we were looking at the stars? And you said that day with your mom you were just… lost forever? How you've never come down?” Keith asked, leaving Lance tongue-tied at having to cut off his own thought so abruptly.

 

“Uh… yeah?” Lance stuttered. “Yeah? What about it?”

 

“What do you think it'd be like if you ever _did_ crash down? What if one day you were just plucked out of the sky and thrown down to Earth… and it's possible… you may never get back to the sky again?”

 

“I…” Lance immediately said, only to stop himself. For once, Keith had rendered him speechless. He thought and he thought and he thought, but no suitable answer came to mind. “I don't know,” he answered honestly.

 

Keith grabbed the front of Lance's shirt again, pulling it closer but not tighter. He nodded into his shoulder and, oddly enough, Lance felt exposed at his confession. He felt lay bare…

 

More than oddly enough, Lance wasn't completely opposed to the feeling. Because he trusted Keith.

 

_With almost anything_ , a dark little part of his brain reminded him. _Almost._

 

Maybe… maybe one day Lance would tell Keith.

 

“I suppose that makes sense,” Keith responded, leaning up and sealing his lips to Lance's. Their kisses had long become familiar to the both of them and Lance could describe each and every one in a million ways. Every one was different, Keith was always full of surprises, but Lance had found little similarities between their kisses. Little things that Lance searched for and cherished. The sweet kisses and the sensual. The fierce, heart throbbing ones.

 

This one, this early morning, blue shaded room, post nightmare, faraway thoughts and beautiful dark eyes kiss - it felt sad. It stained melancholy onto Lance's skin, a bittersweet taste of something cherished given in the slowest, closest, way. A little piece of Keith given, perhaps without Keith even knowing he had given it. Something fragile and new that Lance was almost scared of, but would put all the care into the world to ensure its safety.

 

When Keith leaned back, it was barely an inch, his eyes looking into Lance's for less than a second before averting to the hands in his lap. Keith was soft and tender, so malleable in a way that Lance wasn't sure he liked. Malleable not because he was letting his guards down for his soulmate, his boyfriend, Lance, but because he just seemed too achingly tired to hold them up anymore.

 

For this early morning, blue shaded room, post nightmare, faraway thoughts and beautiful dark eyes moment, Keith was not strong.

 

_Why do you think you're crashing down, Keith? Why do you feel plucked from the sky, thrown to earth, never to touch the stars again?_

 

_What awaited you on the other side of the eye of this storm?_

 

Lance wanted to be there for Keith. He wanted to be trusted with anything his soulmate was going through. But he can't stop that little thought at the back of his head, that wouldn't leave him alone. How could he expect Keith to be honest with him when he was keeping secrets himself?

 

So, for now, all he could do was hold him close as they lay back against their pillows. He could be the warmth, the support, the comfort, as Keith eventually nodded off again, eyes fluttering as he tried to stay awake, far away from his nightmares. When Keith finally rested, Lance sighed, the ache in his heart growing larger. He tucked a stray strand of Keith's hair away from his eyes.

 

_I want to help you. I want to give the world to you. I never want to see you unhappy like this again._

 

Lance knew he couldn't stop sorrow from touching anyone, but he indulged his thoughts for the night, dreaming of a world where nothing was between them, where Keith was never unhappy, and where they could be honest with each other.

 

_One day_ , he promised himself. _I'll be honest with him_.

 

-/-

 

Lotor had said Red would be back soon, yet Lance hadn't seen any Galra for at least two weeks. It was… strange. And threw Lance out of sorts.

 

Still, that didn't mean the Galra were one hundred percent off the radar. They were up to something and, just because they weren't being as public about it these days, didn't mean they were off the hook.

 

So Lance remained vigilant, doing regular patrols, making sure to check in with Allura often. Keith was out a lot more these days with his irregular work schedule, so Lance had a lot of free time on his hands.

 

It was on one of those nights where Lance was on patrol that he saw it. A Red Lion running across town, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. He seemed to be alone, but Lance knew where he must have been heading. There was only one person Red would respond too and that person went by the exact same name.

 

Red was close by. For the first time in over a month. And Lance was determined to find him… for a number of reasons.

 

“Come on, Blue,” Lance said, and jumped on his lion’s back. She knew exactly where to go, her energy already having alerted her to another lion’s proximity.

 

Lance, too, was already well ahead of himself.

 

This could lead them to Red. To Red’s civilian form. Or to the Galra base located in Altea. Or perhaps they could corner the lion and Blue could try to put sense into him, remind him what being a lion of Voltron means. Ask why he was working with the Galra. This could do a lot to help them - it was the first time they'd ever seen the Red Lion out and about without his paladin.

 

But, the problem was, Red was a whole lot faster than Blue. It was a struggle to even keep him in their sights, much less catch up and potentially corner him.

 

“Doing good, Blue,” Lance reassured her, leaning closer so the wind resistance wouldn't do any more damage to their speed. His weight on her back probably wasn't helping. “We just need to keep up. Just follow. This is good.”

 

Lance had no idea where the hell the Red Lion was going. He sprang from roof to roof, deftly switching directions whenever it suited him and going some elaborate route that completely mystified Lance. Still, they kept up, and, soon, they reached the end of their destination when the lion ahead of them jumped down from his last roof into an alley.

 

Lance was panting by the time they’d gotten to that last roof and he wasn't even the one doing the work. Blue leapt down to the sidewalk below, scaring a few pedestrians. Lance slid off her back and took off running, straight into the alleyway. It wasn't a dead end, which would have made this so much easier. Nor could he see the lion’s glowing light.

 

Lance ran, weaving his way around random boxes and metal and whatever the hell else people ditched in those alleys. This alley was connected to at least a dozen others and Lance cursed the grid system Altea had. Still, Lance ran, desperately tearing through the streets to find that red again, the lion or his paladin.

 

Lance was not prepared when he ran straight into another person turning a corner, almost sending whoever it was to the ground before Lance caught and steadied them by their arms. When Lance got a look at the person's face his breath hitched.

 

“Shit,” he whispered, though he couldn't be sure if Keith heard or not.

 

“Watch where you're going,” Keith grumbled, frowning before looking up, then his eyes widened in recognition.

 

_Shit, does he know?_

 

“ _Blue?_ ” he asked and Lance could breathe again. “Uh, erm,” Keith scrambled, blinking rapidly at Lance's blank face visor. “You're the Blue Paladin, aren't you?”

 

“Yeah,” Lance replied, giving a little laugh. “The one and only.”

 

“What-” he stopped, cleared his throat and gave Lance - Blue - a look. “What are you doing here?”

 

Lance bit his lip, still looking down at Keith. “Oh, you know. Official paladin business and the like.”

 

“Oh,” Keith said, nodding a little and still giving Lance that _look._ Keith was ever the puzzle to him, even after all the time Lance had gotten to know his gestures and tells. Lance cocked his head to the side, contemplating, until he noticed the pointed look Keith was passing over him and the arms still on his shoulders.

 

Lance's hands threw themselves off of him like he'd been burned and he stepped back, with a lot more grace than he'd expected at the fright. “Sorry! Eh, sorry about that.”

 

He scratched the back of his neck, the other hand resting on his hip while he thanked every lucky star that his visor hid his immense blush. He saw a blush similar on Keith's cheeks, unable to hide like Lance could, but there was a different look set in his features. Contemplating, observing, looking at Lance like there was something he couldn't quite put his finger on-

 

“Hey, you haven't seen a glowing red lion around here, have you?” Lance asked abruptly, cutting off any pieces Keith could have been fitting together. It did the trick. Keith blinked and furrowed his brow, considering, folding his arms self consciously and shifting almost defensively.

 

“No,” his answer was immediate. “Why?”

 

Lance shrugged. “Chasing after it.” Usually he wouldn't indulge some passerby so long or with so much information when he was in a hurry like this, but this was _Keith_. His soulmate, who had certainly taken him by surprise showing up there. “Are you okay? Are you alone out here?” Worry laced Lance's tone but he couldn't help it. Looking around, they weren't in the best part of town. Did Keith always pass through there?

 

“I'm fine. I can take care of myself,” Keith answered, shrugging off the question with a bit of attitude. Keith never liked feeling underestimated, challenged like he was a little kid incapable of making his own decisions. Plus, he also had that thing where he didn't care much for authority figures.

 

Lance realized that he was kind of the authority figure in this situation. It never really occurred to him that, as a paladin, he had a lot of influence over the city other than saving it.

 

“Alright,” Lance nodded, careful not to sound too skeptical. Yeah, he knew Keith could take care of himself, but that didn't stop his worry. “Take care and get home quickly.”

 

Keith narrowed his eyes and Lance's heart dropped, wondering what the hell he could have let slip. “I never said I was going home.”

 

Lance sputtered, grasping for straws. Shit. Shit shit shit. “Well, I mean, yeah, you didn't. I just kind of assumed and-”

 

Keith put his hand up, ceasing his babble and Lance thanked him silently. Who knew how long he would have gone for?

 

“Whatever. Thanks anyway,” Keith said, stepping to the side so he could skirt around Lance. Somehow, though he was seriously pushing his own good judgement for it, Lance wasn't done yet.

 

Keith _had_ never said he was going home, but where else could he have been going? Lance trusted him, of course, but that didn't make the statement any less confusing.

 

And why had Keith automatically been so suspicious? Like he had something to hide?

 

“Where _did_ you say you were going?” Lance asked, putting out a hand to stop him as Keith made to pass. Keith looked at the hand, then up at Lance, forehead creasing.

 

“I didn't,” Keith challenged cooly and, if Lance weren't under his suit right then, he probably would have laughed seeing Keith act so tough. Keith could fool a lot of people - hell, he probably could have fooled Lance a couple months ago - but Lance knew he was soft and cuddly underneath. He knew Keith put up this facade to protect himself from danger and not danger alike.

 

“Hmm,” Lance hummed in contemplation. “Sounds suspicious,” he said, voice obviously a tease.

 

And something about that must have made Keith relax because, next thing Lance knew, Keith had snorted and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I'm going home. What's it to you?”

 

“Nothing,” Lance answered easily, humored by the banter. “Just wanted to bug you.”

 

At this, Keith's eyes shined with surprise. Then, he rolled them again. “Wow.”

 

“I know,” Lance said, a smile forming on his face. “Don't you feel special?”

 

“So special,” Keith agreed sarcastically. “Don't you have a city to be saving? A lion to be chasing, I think is what you said?”

 

“Oh!” Lance exclaimed, back straightening as he realized that, yeah, he _did_ have a lion to find. “Shit, yeah. Thanks, man.” Lance looked around, then deflated a bit. There was no way he'd find Red now. He'd never pick up the lion’s trail again after this huge stop.

 

“You don't need help on your way home, do you?” Lance knew the answer, but asked anyway.

 

Keith shook his head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I know the way.”

 

“In a hurry to get back?” Keith shrugged and Lance couldn't help himself. A grin stretched across his face as he asked, “Going home to someone special?”

 

Keith didn't blush like Lance had expected. Instead, a soft smile quirked his lips and he looked toward the end of the alley, as if he could see across town right into their apartment. “Yeah,” he answered honestly and Lance's heart swelled. God, this guy was going to kill him one day.

 

“Better get going then,” Lance responded as nonchalantly as he could, offering them both a way out of the conversation. This, of all times, was when Keith decided to get awkward, shuffling from foot to foot.

 

“Alright, well…” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Lance wanted to rip off his helmet then and there to kiss every inch of his face. Keith was never good with goodbyes and it never ceased to charm Lance in some odd way.

 

“Thanks for the help. Got a lion to find,” Lance said, backing away before he did something stupid. “See ya.”

 

“Good luck,” Keith said half-heartedly and turned his own way, relieved to have been given the out. Lance smirked after his boyfriend before turning his own way and walking. Blue was waiting for him at the end of the alley, sending one simple message to him.

 

_Got away._

 

Lance nodded, having expected this already and scruffing the top of Blue’s head. “We'll get them one day, girl,” he assured her, all the while, mind still stuck on his run in with Keith.

 

He thought of the moment he had caught Keith before falling, holding his arms and standing close, looking into the purple eyes that had brought them together. He recollected how Keith had looked at his blank visor, having no idea who he was.

 

Lance thought about what it might be like... to take off his helmet. To show Keith who he was. For there to be no secrets between them.

 

But Lance shook his head. “Come on, Blue. I gotta get home.” And the two set off as they always did.

 

-/-

 

Lance couldn't help the heights his hopes soared to everytime Allura texted him with a new location. It didn't matter the place, Lance couldn't stop his head from shooting to _What if it's Red?_

 

It's never Red, and Lance decided Lotor’s a big liar. No surprise there.

 

It wasn't until now that it was anyone of the Galra though. The organization hadn’t been out in what felt like forever.

 

“Hey, lotion,” Lance greeted half-heartedly. Lotor was sitting on the counter of a gas station, sorely out of place for the pretentious prick he was, but looking completely at ease. It wasn't fair.

 

“Hello, Blue. What's the matter? I'd think you'd be happy for a little more action with all the petty criminals you’ve dealt with recently?”

 

“You'd think,” Lance said, rolling his eyes. Hm, something he'd picked up from Keith? “What are you doing in a gas station? The Galra have nothing better to do?”

 

Lotor flipped his hand around in the air. “Actually not. I was asked to do something for the day, so here I am.”

 

“Wait,” Lance said, unbelieving. “This is your idea of a day off? _Robbing a gas station_? I'd think you'd go to a spa or something.”

 

“You're just jealous that I go to the spa more than you,” Lotor said and Lance did not deny… “But, no. This isn't a day off. More of a…” Lotor considered, flipping his hand again, “Distraction.”

 

Immediately, Lance was on his toes, stepping back and narrowing his eyes. “A distraction?” he asked suspiciously.

 

“Yes, yes, but you have nothing to worry about. It isn't for you.”

 

“What do you mean it isn't for me? You aren't making any sense!” Lance exclaimed, a lot more serious than before.

 

“I'm not supposed to be making sense. I don't have to explain things to you,” Lotor replied flippantly, making Lance's frustration grow. Before he could shout anymore though, Lotor grew a wicked grin. “Are you still curious about Red?”

 

This made Lance stop dead in his tracks. His insides grew giddy and excited, but he had to stop himself from giving an enthusiastic 'Yes!’

 

“Not if it's just a ploy to distract me,” he said instead. This didn't deter Lotor, who tossed his hair and crossed his legs from his perch.

 

“I already told you the distraction _isn't_ for you. But… if you _don't_ want to know about Red…”

 

“I bet there's nothing to know anyway,” Lance tried, keeping a skeptical eye. “I bet Red bolted and you guys are trying to pretend like you haven't lost your greatest weapon.”

 

Lotor’s eyebrows shot up. “Greatest weapon?”

 

“A lion of Voltron? You can't seriously think you've got something better.”

 

Lotor considered this. “Perhaps. But we haven’t lost him. In fact, he’s off re-earning our trust as we speak. He went rogue for a time, but he’s back under our thumb; no worries.”

 

“Back under your thumb?” Lance said, eyes widening. He couldn’t help the insistent voice in his head. _I was right. I was right. I was right._ “I’ll stop him,” Lance warned.

 

“Not of your concern, nor is it something you can particularly stop. Unless you know where we’re headquartered?” At Lance’s silence, Lotor smirked. “Thought not. It’s about time for me to go,” Lotor said, hopping off the counter. “Thank you for the distraction, but I should get back to see how things are going.”

 

“I’m not letting you just go,” Lance warned and Lotor shrugged.

 

“No matter.” Then, the store was full of smoke and, like the dramatic bitch he was, Lotor was gone.

 

“What a dick,” Lance mumbled.

 

-/-

 

“Did you hear that, Blue?” Lance asked, not even waiting two seconds until Lotor disappeared. When he turned, though, Blue wasn't at his side. “Blue?”

 

A roar could be heard from the back and Lance blinked. Without a second to think, he raced toward the sound of his lion, fierce protectiveness surging through him.

 

“Um, rude,” Lotor said as soon as he entered the back room. Blue had him pinned in a corner.

 

“Haha, snooze ya loose, punk,” Lance gloated, unable to resist. He nodded toward Blue. “Nice going, girl.”

 

When Lance approached, Lotor tried to punch him in the gut, a dirty move for someone who tried to act so elegant. It was a good thing Lance was being careful; the hit slipped right past him as he dodged and came up behind the guy, smoothly grabbing both of his arms and pinning them behind his back.

 

It was easy to cuff him from there and, after so long facing off against Lotor, always one step behind the guy, it felt _too_ easy. If the guy had been arrested on purpose, he was going to be sorely disappointed. Lance wasn't bringing him anywhere near Voltron headquarters.

 

“Cops should be here soon,” Lance grunted, holding Lotor by the cuffs and shoulder. Lotor sputtered, offended.

 

“Me? Taken by the _police?_ That's ridiculous.”

 

“Ridiculous for the ridiculous man. Seriously, what'd you expect, Lotor?” Lance scoffed but, despite how it seemed like he was sorely underestimating the guy, Lance was being very vigilant that the Galran prince wasn't getting away. But, speaking of which… “Where are your lackies?”

 

“Excuse me?” Lotor asked, distaste in his tone.

 

“The guys who follow you around everywhere? What? Is that not your idea? Did you ditch them because you were tired of being babysat?”

 

“That is of no consequence to you,” Lotor sniffed and Lance rolled his eyes. Just as he had thought. The spoiled kid was playing rebellion.

 

“Alright, leotard.”

 

“And stop with those silly nicknames!”

 

“You're whiny when you lose, aren't you?”

 

“I have not lost!” Lotor protested and Lance jangled the cuffs, pretending in his own head that they were noisy shackles.

 

“I'd disagree.”

 

Lance would like to say that their bickering stopped there, but Lotor was actually really good at baiting him, so it pretty much carried on until the cops got there. When Lance handed Lotor over, though, it was not goodbye.

 

Lance and Blue followed the car from the air all the way to the station. He talked to Allura along the way, then the chief of police when Lotor had been shoved into a cell. It wasn't until Allura arrived, though, that Lance was permitted to interrogate Lotor. Since Allura did not wish to show her face, she put Lance in charge of interrogation and fed him questions through his helmet.

 

Still, he had a few questions of his own to ask first.

 

“Who is Red?” He demanded first and foremost. Lotor smirked, as if expecting this.

 

“Wouldn't you like to know?”

 

Lance frowned and took the seat across from him. He'd better get comfortable. This was going to be a long day.

 

-/-

 

Lance had gone through an extensive list of questions, a plethora of interrogation techniques ranging from bargaining, good cop bad cop, and whatever else Allura could think to instruct him through his helmet.

 

“It's cute watching you take orders like this. I've never noticed it before. Do you do it often?” Lotor asked a good ways into the interrogation. Lance frowned and refused to answer. He wasn't the one who was supposed to be answering anyway. It didn't matter if Lotor knew he wasn't the only one behind the interrogation.

 

“What time is it?” Lotor asked, arms folded and leaning back. He'd been relaxed this whole time, a knowing glint in his eye. Lance didn't trust him one freaking bit.

 

_“Tell him,”_ Allura instructed and Lance did.

 

“6:30pm,” he said and Lotor nodded.

 

“Then I suppose it’s okay to stop humoring you. That's a relief. This has gotten quite boring.” Lotor started to stretch, popping his back and, alarmingly, stretching his arms in a way that _could not_ be normal.

 

“What do you mean, humoring us?” Lance asked reproachfully and full of suspicion.

 

Lotor's eyes met his and a smug glee shined in them. “You should have known I was lying to you.”

 

Lance’s fist clenched. “Fuck, Lotor. Just tell me!” he nearly shouted, body growing tense. What had he been lying about? Probably a lot of things but what-

 

Lance felt his brain go silent, the world go silent, as he realized. “The distraction?”

 

Lotor only smiled wickedly up at him, eyes lighting up like a teacher whose pupil was finally catching on.

 

“Red should be through with his own interrogation by now. I'm sure Mayor Stafford would like to get home by now.”

 

_“No…”_ Allura gasped, realizing.

 

“No…” Lance repeated, staring in horror at the man he'd spent so much time with in here. Only for it to have been a distraction!

 

Lotor had _said_ this was a distraction! How the hell could Lance have gotten caught up in it?

 

“Yes,” Lotor answered easily, looking unfazed. “Now, run along. You should find him in Central Park. Have fun.”

 

Lance's nostrils flared as he considered chucking Lotor right through the fucking wall. Allura interrupted these thoughts though.

 

_“We must go immediately. Blue, out. Now.”_

 

So Lance spun and bolted, fists clenching at the laughter behind him.

 

Getting to the park was an excruciatingly long journey, yet Lance couldn’t remember a single second of it. He could only remember spotting a huddled figure in the grass and instructing Blue to _go_.

 

He could only remember the mayor, bloody and delirious. He could only remember the shaken way his voice had choked out his fear, his frenzied, disgusted words. He remembered the one sentence he had said in only the company of Lance’s unprepared ears, before he fainted and the many officers showing up to the scene had taken him away.

 

Lance knelt in Central Park, those words echoing in his ears, banishing the small hope he’d had for someone he’d thought he could help.

 

“The Red Lion has chosen evil.”

 

-/-

 

There wasn’t much Lance could do after an ambulance had taken the mayor to the hospital. Apparently, as soon as Allura, Lance, and a portion of the officers at the station had gone, Lotor had gotten out easily, even with plenty of police still guarding him. After that, Allura had simply waved him home, looking quite frustrated. Lance knew she must have been beating herself up as much as he was himself. How had they let this happen?

 

Lance got home late, but, as late as that might have been, it was still before Keith. When Lance checked his phone, there was a brief text from him saying he’d be back late. He spent most of that free time laying on the couch, head spinning in circles wondering how how how how…

 

Lotor had said Red was under their thumb, but what sort of dirt do you have to have on a guy to get him to do that? Maybe it wasn’t Red, right? Lotor could have been bluffing. This all could be a big ruse so they’d think Red was completely on their side, irredeemable.

 

But the mayor had said…

 

The whole thing had been a distraction. A ploy so the Galra could interrogate and torture the mayor for something. And Red had done it. He had been the one to cut into Stafford, to make him bled and plead for his life. Lance could envision it and it sickened him. What kind of man could do such a thing?

 

If it had all been a distraction, that meant Lotor had been lying, right? Red wasn’t ‘back under their thumb’. He had never left. The past few months must have been exactly for this purpose. To have the city wondering, all the papers asking _Where is the Red Paladin and why is he with the Galra?_

 

“How could I have been such a fool?” Lance asked the empty apartment, voice quiet and thick with emotion. He clenched his fist and sat up, swinging his legs off the couch. He couldn’t sit there anymore. If he stewed any longer, he’d be fit for a witch’s diet.

 

So he decided to feed his own diet and set a kettle under the faucet in the sink. He was feeling lazy, so he figured he’d steal one of Keith’s ramen packets for the night. He may have slammed the kettle onto the stove a tad too hard, but his mind was too cloudy with a hundred different things to care.

 

Lance went to the cabinet and thumbed through a couple packets, deciding on good ole’ chicken. He threw it to a counter across the room and hoisted himself atop one of the others, crossing his legs under him and flipping through his phone in an attempt to distract himself as his water boiled.

 

He didn’t see much of what he was scrolling through - he didn’t even hear the low creaking of the door opening he was so caught up in his thoughts. It wasn’t until Keith shuffled into the kitchen that Lance looked up. His eyebrows furrowed.

 

“Hey,” he said and leapt off the counter. Keith stepped forward without a word and pulled Lance down for a kiss and, although it was sudden, Lance complied, happy for the distraction. Keith’s arms were around his neck and Lance’s own wrapped to Keith’s back. It was pleasant and a little insistent, but it lifted Lance’s mood.

 

Until he tried to pull away and Keith held tighter, stepping closer, hands coming back to hold the sides of Lance’s face. It wasn’t until now that Lance realized Keith was shaking, burying himself in the sensations of their kiss.

 

“Keith-” Lance tried, only getting out the word before their lips smacked together again. He pushed lightly at his shoulders, resulting in another break and seal of their lips. “Keith-” Lance tried again and, this time, Keith pulled away, resting back on his feet at arms length where Lance pulled him. Keith wouldn’t look at him, his breathing heavy and body still slightly trembling.

 

“Sorry,” Keith gasped out and crossed his arms. Oddly enough, it wasn’t his usual stance with a hint of attitude and defensiveness. Keith’s shoulders scrunched inward and his posture looked like he was anticipating a blow, but didn’t have the energy to prepare himself for it.

 

Lance’s hand found Keith’s cheek, trying to steer his gaze back up. “What’s wrong?”

 

Even now facing Lance, Keith refused to meet his eyes, trained over Lance’s shoulder instead. He took a shuddering breath and shook his head. Lance furrowed his eyes and was about to protest when something caught his eye, shocking the hell out of him.

 

“Keith,” he asked, unable to believe it himself, “Are you… crying?”

 

Briefly, Keith’s eyes met his before he ducked, trying to discreetly wipe away the evidence. Lance had seen though. One loose tear sliding down the side of Keith’s face. Lance had never seen Keith cry. Never.

 

So he collected the shaking man into his arms and securely held him tight, letting Keith bury his head in his shoulder. His breathing grew more ragged as he tried to control the oncoming stream and Lance hated how Keith thought he had to hold it all in. “It’s alright,” he whispered, fingers ghosting through Keith’s hair.

 

It seemed like that was the last straw before Keith’s control came crashing down, the tears along with it. Sobs tore through his throat and he clung for dear life to the front of Lance’s shirt. It broke his heart to hear it, but a part of Lance was relieved Keith wasn’t holding it in anymore. How long had this been coming?

 

It lasted too short for a good sob in Lance’s experience and he knew Keith must have pulled himself together as quickly as he could. He was disappointed, but this meant they were getting somewhere, right? With being honest with each other? If Keith could be honest enough to allow that brief reprieve in composure in front of Lance, then there must have been some trust between them.

 

Lance remembered what Shiro said. Soulmates bond quickly. So, if it had taken Keith this long to open up to Lance, how long would it have taken with someone else?

 

He shooed away the thought, plastering on a smile as Keith stepped away, wiping his face. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled.

 

“Never,” Lance shook his head. Keith bit his lip but turned to the stove where the whistle was starting to blow.

 

“I’ll finish up in here,” he offered, moving the kettle to another eye. Lance went to protest, but Keith looked at him with something akin to desperation in his eyes. “Please.”

 

Lance swallowed his words down and scanned over Keith’s face. He looked tired and embarrassed and Lance could tell he needed a moment alone. “Okay,” he relented and left the kitchen. He could hear the sound of Keith getting bowls out as he left.

 

Lance went to the couch, close enough to come back if Keith needed. He flipped through the channels, not content with anything and keeping an ear out for the kitchen. When Keith came back, a bowl in each hand, Lance took his and cradled it in his lap. It was scorching, but Keith had had the foresight to bring small hand towels to keep their hands, or laps, from burning off.

 

Keith sat next to him and Lance decided on a random channel, shifting his attention to his bowl and Keith, who was leaning into him.

 

They were silent for the rest of the night. After their bowls were empty and layed on the coffee table, they retreated to their room where Keith curled up next to Lance. It wasn’t long until Lance could make out his even breathing. He looked down, eyes growing soft at Keith’s unguarded face, asleep on his shoulder. A small sigh escaped his lips as his troubles of the day fled in favor of empty dreams.

 

Lance couldn’t help wondering how so much could go wrong in one day-

 

He placed a careful hand to Keith’s cheek, running the pad of his thumb across it.

 

\- and what he could possibly do to fix any of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The editing might be shite for this chapter. Well, more shite. While the usual shite is attributed to my hatred for editing, this time it’s more of a lack of time because I’m drowning in midterm prep (hElp). Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I’ll see you next time for...
> 
> Next chapter: Lots of shit goes down and there's POV switch a couple times.


	5. Chapter 5

Lance woke up the next morning to the sound of rustling about the room. When he cracked his eyes open, a faint light from the window vaguely alerted him that it was early morning and that Keith was already up and getting dressed.

 

“What are you doing?” Lance slurred, throwing an arm over his eyes. The rustling stopped, supposedly so Keith could look over. 

 

“Getting dressed for work?” Keith responded, as if that should be obvious. Lance huffed and sat up, rubbing his eyes from the morning grogginess.

 

“But you worked late last night. Those guys must be slave drivers.”

 

Keith shrugged and proceeded to zip up his pants. As Lance watched, he chewed on his lip, remembering last night. Keith had come home, completely wrecked, yet now it was as if it’d never happened. He was completely composed, no sign of the tears from before present. While Lance would hate to ruin that, he could tell Keith was still far from over it, going by the deep bags under his eyes and heavy weight of his shoulders. He couldn't let Keith bottle it up like that.

 

“So, you wanna talk about it?” he asked, sitting up and folding his legs to look at his boyfriend.

 

Keith didn't even look up, reaching for a shirt much too casually. “Talk about what?”

 

“You now what,” Lance said and, when Keith didn't respond, clarified. “Why you were so upset last night.”

 

Keith shrugged. “Not particularly.”

 

Lance frowned. “You should.”

 

“You're right,” Keith said moving across the room to find socks. “I should talk about it. But I won't.”

 

“And why not?” Lance asked, disapproval and a little bit of frustration in his voice. Keith just shrugged again. “You can't just keep this all in, Keith. It's not healthy.”

 

“Hasn't stopped me before,” Keith responded and, by the way he paused in his digging through the drawer, Keith knew this wasn't the right thing to say. “Look, Lance. I'm fine.”

 

“No, you aren't. And I want to know why,” Lance said, holding his ground. He slid to the end of the bed to be closer, but Keith still didn't turn to look at him.

 

“And I don't want to tell you, Lance. Can we just drop it?” Irritation was leaking into Keith's voice too, but Lance went on.

 

“No,” he said, crossing his arms in front of him.

 

“Why is this so important to you?” Keith asked, exasperated, turning to finally face him. If there had been any vulnerability in Keith's eyes before, it had dissipated by then, replaced by anger.

 

“Because  _ you're  _ important to me?” Lance answered, completely honest. At least, at this, Keith seemed a bit taken aback. Maybe he'd see a little sense.

 

But the anger was back almost immediately and Keith shoved a wall up between them. “If that's so, then let's drop it.”

 

“Why won't you just tell me? Do you trust me so little?” Lance asked, standing from the bed to look Keith dead in the eye. Keith didn't back down. He never backed down from a fight.

 

“That's not what this is, Lance! It’s- it's complicated!” he exclaimed, fists clenching at his side.

 

“Try me,” Lance challenged and this seemed to be it for Keith. He slammed the drawer beside him shut and strode across the room, grabbing his shoes and bag and heading for the door. “So that's what you're going to do? Run away?” 

 

“Fuck you, Lance,” Keith spat and Lance threw his arms into the air.

 

“Okay! That's what I get for trying to  _ care _ for you! But you don't like that, do you? People  _ caring _ about you?”

 

Keith didn't look back as he slammed shut their bedroom door, quickly followed by the apartment door too. Lance was seething and he must have stared at that door for ten minutes.

 

Keith didn't trust him. That was it. He would rather storm out than tell Lance about… whatever this was. He'd rather shut everyone out than let them in.

 

But Lance was done. He'd given so much to Keith and all he'd asked for in return was to help him, to be trusted enough for just that. But Keith had laid down his cards. Lance knew where he wasn't wanted.

 

Clenching his fists, Lance sunk back down onto the end of the bed. He put his head in his hands and let out a frustrated sigh.

 

_ So this is it _ , Lance realized.  _ The everlasting story between me and my soulmate. _

 

Sometimes, even soulmates weren't built to last.

 

-/-

 

Lance was chronically forgiving, even as angry as he was with Keith. It took maybe an hour for him to cool down and, even before, getting ready to head to his own place of work, he wasn't altogether angry at his soulmate. Irritated, yep. Frustrated, definitely. But how could he stay angry when an insistent little voice kept whispering in his ear  _ You're keeping secrets too. How can you ask for Keith's trust when he doesn't have yours? _

 

He was at work by the time his thoughts completely shifted from being mad at Keith to being mad at himself.

 

_ But I do trust Keith _ , he insisted.

 

_ Sure doesn't look like it _ , his brain would reply and Lance would chew on his lip a little more, feeling the skin getting thinner there, but not caring.

 

_ If I tell him, he could be in danger _ , he thought.

 

_ Shouldn't you trust him enough not to put himself into situations like that? _ would come the reply.

 

_ It wouldn’t be his fault though _ , he thought, his lip pinching under his teeth and breaking.

 

_ Shouldn't this be more important than something that  _ might  _ happen? _ Lance's lip was bleeding now and he dabbed at it with a finger. Good thing there were no customers around. Then again, if he had any customers, he wouldn't have had so much time to argue with himself.

 

_ Telling him my secret doesn't mean he'd tell me his. There's no guarantee this would make anything better. _

 

_ You shouldn't be expecting anything of the sort anyway _ , his brain said and Lance frowned.

 

_ You’re a rude shit. _

 

_ I’m you. What did you expect? _

 

Lance sighed and dabbed his lip with a napkin. He was relieved of his thoughts when a customer came in, though the man looked quite concerned that a barista with a bleeding lip might be handling his coffee. Lance took the order and handed it off to Rolo, another employee that he didn’t often work with, but was pretty chill once you got past the lazy attitude.

 

_ Should I tell him? _ Lance wondered, settling again at the register, mind back to Keith, and his brain responded.

 

_ Yes! _

 

Then, his brain split in half, and the anxious part went  _ No! _

 

“Not helping,” Lance muttered and the man across the counter shot him a look. Rolo didn’t give a shit and continued to make the coffee, but Lance gave an embarrassed smile to both of them and slipped into the back for a second of peace.

 

_ What happens if I tell him? _ Lance wondered, but, to this, there was no reply from anyone. Lance sighed and leaned against a wall, running his hands through his hair.

 

_ The best way for Keith to trust you is to show him you trust him too. _

 

And Lance was surprised to note that his whole mind seemed to sing this in unison. He breathed in, considering, then nodded.  _ I’ll tell him. _

 

The thought scared him out of his mind, but he didn’t let himself cower from it. He owned the words. He committed to them.

 

_ I’ll tell him. _

 

Each time he thought them, these words, a little more confidence pieced them into a more solid concept. His gut was a swirl of emotions - anxiety, fear, reluctance - but he kept repeating, never backing down.

 

_ I’ll tell him. _

 

He could picture himself in a hundred different scenarios telling Keith he was the Blue Paladin. Some went well and some didn’t. Some were complicated and some straightforward. In some, Lance says it immediately without waiting for the moment; some, Lance asked if they could talk and they sat down on the couch or on the balcony, looking up at the stars. In even more, Keith felt betrayed that Lance would keep such a big secret from him and, in some again, he was happy Lance told him and he was filled with surprise and a little bit of awe.

 

Lance felt like he’d gone through every possible scenario before Rolo called back to him, letting him know the next rush was coming in and to get his butt out there. Still, Lance had to stay one moment longer.

 

“I’m going to tell him,” he said out loud, then walked back out to work.

 

-/-

 

Lance wasn’t letting him back himself out of his resolve, so he decided to tell Keith the very next time they saw each other… and were alone. Obviously.

 

His shift was almost over; he was ready to get home and tell Keith, either if he was there already or if he had to wait for him (he hadn’t had the chance to ask Keith his hours this morning, but they were unreliable anyway). Then, he got a text from Allura.

 

**Allura** : Red spotted near you. Seems like he’s headed somewhere

 

Lance had been hanging his apron when he checked the text and his head snapped up immediately, as if Red would be right out the window. It had been so long since the guy had shown himself and, after yesterday, Lance was ready to give him a piece of his mind.

 

**Lance** : i got it

 

Lance grabbed his bag and ducked into a storage closet, praying that no one would run out of coffee in the time it took him to get on his armor. It was an emergency though, so he’d take his chances.

 

Once he’d gotten the suit on, he ducked out the back and called Blue, who was there immediately. She usually hung out close by, but it seemed today she was intent on getting out of there quick, bending down so that Lance would get on.

 

“You got his scent?” Lance asked, but she didn’t answer in any way other than taking off as soon as he leapt on. Lance held on tight because it felt like Blue wasn’t stopping for anything.

 

It wasn’t long until they saw a tiny silhouette up ahead and Lance had to commend Blue for her pace. The Red Lion probably wasn’t going top speed, having no reason to, but Lance still thought it impressive that Blue could catch up.

 

Lance instructed Blue to skirt around, making it easier to corner the two Reds on one of the roofs. Once they’d landed next to where the two were about to leap from, Blue went in for a tackle, knocking them back. She stood triumphantly at the edge, daring them to try to get around her. Red had fallen off his lion at the hit, but it hadn’t been a long fall. Maybe skidded his knee, bumped his head. Lance couldn’t bring himself to care when the image of the mayor was still seared into his mind.

 

“Long time no see,” Lance said, standing over the fallen paladin. At the word, Lance grimaced. Maybe Red was right. He wasn’t a paladin. A paladin would never be able to do what he did. “Heard you had a blast with the mayor yesterday.”

 

And… maybe Lance imagined it, but he could have sworn Red flinched at that. Then, he was launching to his feet, putting up his hands and sliding into a fighting stance. Any thought of sympathy leaked from Lance’s mind.

 

“Whatcha doing out and about all of a sudden?” Lance asked, hands on his hips and deliberately leaving his chest open for an attack. He wanted an excuse to fight this bastard. He wanted to punch him in the face. Still, Red did not attack. “Were you in time out?”

 

“I do what the Galra ask,” Red shrugged, remaining vigilant as always. “No more, no less.”

 

“I think you’ve proven that quite enough,” Lance pointed out, coming out a lot more bitter than he’d intended. He didn’t regret it though. “You know, I used to think you could be one of the good guys.”

 

“Really?” Red sounded skeptical. “What ever made you think that?”

 

“I really don’t know anymore,” Lance said, narrowing his eyes. He waited. And waited. Red did not attack. “So, where you heading?”

 

“Not really your business, I think,” Red replied and Lance shrugged.

 

“I’m going to be following you anyway,” he said. “Unless you’re going to do something about it.”

 

It was a direct challenge and he wondered if Red would finally take the bait. Lance wasn’t sure  _ why _ it was so important to him that Red threw the first punch - he knew he was a villain, he knew he had every right to take him in by force - but something inside Lance needed this reassurance. He needed some kind of  _ proof _ with his own eyes that Red couldn’t be saved.

 

_ Wasn’t yesterday proof enough? _ he asked himself. 

 

He didn’t answer.

 

“Someone’s a bit wound up,” Red noted, tilting his head a little. “What’s the matter with you?”

 

And, if Lance didn’t know any better, he’d say that Red might have actually cared. If it hadn’t been for yesterday, he might have dared to hope.

 

“ _ You’re _ what’s the matter,” Lance spat. “You and  _ all  _ the Galra. Don’t you have  _ any  _ regret working for those dickheads? Don’t you have any  _ remorse  _ at all at what happened yesterday?”

 

Wrong questions. Those are not the questions he should be asking to reinforce the whole ‘Bad Red’ thing. Especially when Red flinched again and, this time, there was no mistaking the gesture.

 

“I do what I have to.”

 

And now-  _ now  _ Lance was angry. “You-” he roared and, before he could even think about where he had been going with that, he was launching himself at Red. Red dodged, predictably, but seemed surprised doing so.

 

Red dodged again and again as Lance continued to launch himself at him, adrenaline pumping through his veins and thoughts blurred down to the odd betrayal he had been harboring ever since coming to the realization that Red truly was irredeemable. That he really was one of the Galra. Lance was tiring himself out with all the blind attacks but he didn’t care. He wanted to sock this guy in the face. Just once.

 

But Red caught him by the elbow and twisted it behind his back, effectively capturing the enraged paladin. “Woah, woah,” Red was saying before Blue kicked a leg behind him, knocking Red right in the shin. The other man hissed and released him, letting Lance hop away. When he spun back around, a fair distance away, Red was just recovering and Lance could tell daggers were being stared through him.

 

Lance was tired of this. He could punch him in the face once he’d cuffed him, as shitty of a move that might be. So Lance took out his gun and set it to stun. It was the mode it usually was on, but there were some dangerous settings to it as well. Once he hefted it up, he noticed Red was a lot closer. “Shit!” he exclaimed and shot. The bullet ricocheted off the roof beneath them when Red hit the gun downward. 

 

Red stabbed his knife into the side of the weapon and Lance watched with wide eyes as it sparked, broken. Damn. They could fix it, but it’d be a lot of work for someone at Voltron HQ. Plus, it kind of left him weaponless at the moment.

 

He dropped it and dodged Red’s knife. It nicked his armor, leaving a metallic scar across its surface. Then, Red sliced again and it went through a part not covered by armor, cutting through the material and shallowly into his skin. Lance hissed and backed away. Red, on the other hand, had paused completely, knife lifted in the glint of the sun.

 

The grey and purple blade had blood on it and, while it wasn’t a surprise, Red’s arm started to shake at the sight of it.

 

He dropped the blade and backed away from it, like it held the plague within its grasp. It took Lance a few seconds to realize what had happened.

 

Then, he lunged for the knife, grabbing it from the rooftop. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it; he didn’t do blades well, but at least it was away from Red. After Lance had grabbed the blade, though, Red seemed to remember where he was, putting his hands back up in defense.

 

Lance did the same, knife in one hand. Then, Red was the one to lunge first, dodging the knife as Lance instinctually slashed it. It kind of scared him what he could do with this thing, but he kept his grip tight and firm. Then, he was on the ground.

 

He grunted after his back smacked the rooftop, Red on top of him and arms pinned to either side of his head. Red tried to wrestle the blade from him, but Lance couldn’t let go without the knife possibly nicking the other in the hassle, momentarily forgetting he didn’t care if Red got hurt. It sliced Red’s shoulder and right across his forearm before Lance realized that Red’s struggle for the knife gave him an advantage. 

 

So Lance flipped them over, the Blue Paladin now on top, throwing the blade across the roof, and pinning Red’s arms just as had been done to him.

 

Breathing heavy, a curse muttered from Red’s lips, the clang of metal as the knife slid off of the roof and into the alley below... that was when Lance saw it.

 

Red’s arm was pinned, giving Lance a perfect view of his cut suit, blood soaking the fabric and blue peaking out on his skin. Like a tattoo.

 

Like a soulmark.

 

_ Your eyes are purple. _

 

The words were as clear as day, as if fate itself had placed that cut. Lance lost his breath, all train of thought. He felt like his soul was watching from above, too afraid to go back into his own body and feel the emotions that must have been roiling in there. He didn’t feel anything for a split second.

 

Then, there was confusion. Denial. Then, Lance was flipped right back over.

 

“As fun as this has been,” Red breathed heavily, standing over Lance who could do nothing he was so dazed, “I’ve gotta go.”

 

“Wait…” Lance said, but his voice was muted and Red was already making his way across the roof. Blue had come over to Lance, sensing something very very wrong in him, and Red was free to jump on his own lion.

 

He didn’t even look back. He didn’t say anything else. He just… 

 

Left.

 

As if Lance’s entire world wasn’t falling apart. As if Lance hadn’t just read his own words on Red’s forearm. As if Red didn’t have the same mark as his soulmate did. As his soulmate… as...

 

As if he didn’t realize who Blue was under this helmet. And why should he?  _ How could  _ he when Lance had only been planning on telling him tonight?

 

But Lance finally knew who Red was under that mask, and he was starting to think that he would have rather never found out. 

 

-/-

 

Keith was still breathing heavily as Red spirited him away, away from the roof, away from the labs. He’d have to complete this mission some other time. He wasn’t so chained that he’d leave these cuts untreated.

 

As shallow as they were… maybe he was just looking for an excuse to run away.

 

_ Run away like you did this morning? _

 

Keith flinched, then shook his head, sucking in a breath. He had to fix this, had to fix everything he’d torn to pieces that morning with Lance. He couldn’t push him away like he did with  _ everyone _ . Not Lance.

 

Keith had so much to apologize for. But could he really tell Lance what he wanted to know?

 

Of course not. It would only put him in even more danger.

 

For a moment, he looked down at his arm, noticing a cut had gone through his suit, right above his soulmark. It was reassuring seeing the words there, yet a foreboding feeling overcame him.

 

He sure hoped Blue hadn’t seen it. It was bad enough that the Galra knew about his soulmate. If Voltron did too, it would make things all the more complicated.

 

If Blue saw it, then it was only a matter of time before he told Shiro.

 

“Back to HQ, Red. I’ve got some mending to do,” he said and Red was already on his way.

 

Keith sighed and relaxed, just for a second before he was faced with reality back at headquarters. He’d get chewed out for sure for ducking out on this mission, especially it being the first one since he’d been back. Keith tried to forget the Galra and the things he’s done for them, tried to forget the potential dangers he now faced with Voltron and his identity, tried to forget the destruction of everything he wanted and loved just this morning, when he’d still been wrapped up in the thoughts of  _ Who could want me now that I’ve done things I can never come back from? _

 

Keith kept his eyes on his hands and let his mind wander in a neutral nothingness. Just for now.

 

-/-

 

“Blue, this- this can’t be happening. This can’t be  _ real _ .”

 

Lance was pacing, still on the rooftop after the fateful encounter. He was trying to picture the mark in his mind, trying to place some sort of discrepancy because what he’d read couldn’t have been right. It couldn’t have said…  _ that _ .

 

Instead, his head worked against him, finding the similarities he had overlooked in his ignorance.

 

Keith always ducking out at the most random times? Lance never being called in for Red when Keith was around? Hell, he’d met both Keith and Red on the same day! His soulmate and a new villain arriving into town on the same day? How had Lance not seen it before?

 

Because he hadn't wanted to see it. Because it was  _ insane _ . 

 

Because it was Keith. And Keith wouldn’t work with the Galra - with the people who had taken his  _ brother _ .

 

Oh…

 

“Keith was looking for Shiro,” Lance said and Blue perked up, pleased that her paladin was no longer pacing irritably. She’d tried to soothe him, but, in his state, it had been virtually impossible. Now, she paid attention acutely. “I should have known he’d never give up on that. That has to be what brought him to Altea.”

 

Lance paced again and Blue sent emotions his way that he didn’t pay attention to. He was throwing his arms around as he talked. “Of course! Keith must have found him! Keith must have found him at the-” Lance stopped, voice cutting out as he realized. “At the Galra base. Then… then…” Lance chewed on his lip and turned to his lion, who was still staring patiently at him. “Then they forced him to work for them? Probably with Shiro as leverage. Especially once they found out Keith was the Red Paladin.”

 

Lance shut his eyes, absorbing those words.  _ Keith was the Red Paladin. _

 

“But why still? Why is he still working for them after Shiro’s out?” Lance raked his mind, but he couldn’t understand. What more could they have on Keith? They could reveal he was the Red Paladin to everyone, possibly send him to jail, but he would have had the blackmail excuse. Plus, the Galra would have had the danger of exposing themselves too. There was something else…

 

“I don’t get it, Blue,” he admitted finally, dropping his arms back down to his sides.

 

Then, Lance remembered the dreams Shiro had told him about. About his time in the Galra base. About seeing Keith.

 

“But Shiro might.”

 

-/-

 

Lance arrived at headquarters and immediately went to the room he knew Shiro was bunking in. When he knocked, it didn’t take long for the door to open and a surprised Shiro to greet him.

 

“Lance! Hey, how are you?” he said with that easy smile of his. Lance nodded and looked pointedly into Shiro’s room.

 

“May I come in?”

 

Shiro’s brow furrowed and he stepped to the side. “Yeah.”

 

Once inside with the door securely closed, Shiro gestured to a chair, in which Lance took. Shiro had another chair in the room, always prepared apparently, and took that. Before he could even ask what was up, Lance asked what he’d been dying to hear. “Have you remembered anything more about your time with the Galra?”

 

Shiro paused, easy smile sliding a bit, before pulling himself together. No more smile, but no more startled expression. He was put together, serious, the leader facade. “Not much. Why?”

 

“I was wondering if anymore of those Keith dreams had cropped up,” Lance said, cutting right to the chase. Again, Shiro looked surprised - this time not even trying to hide it.

 

“Just the usual dreams- why do you ask? Is something up?”

 

“So, the usual ones,” Lance said, deliberately ignoring the question. “Like, Keith is there; he’s pleading and the Galra have him?”

 

“Yes. Lance, what’s going on? You’re asking some weird questions,” Shiro said and Lance shook his head.

 

“Nothing. I just… needed to make sure,” Lance started to stand. “Sorry for bothering you, Shiro.”

 

“Wait,” Shiro grabbed his arm and Lance noticed it was with his cybernetic one. It looked like he was getting the hand of it.

 

And, if he wasn’t so intent on his mission, Lance would have totally laughed at the pun.

 

“I gotta go. Sorry, Shiro-”

 

But Shiro cut him off. “Is that Keith’s knife?” He was pointing to Lance’s bag, slung over his shoulder. Lance looked and, sure enough, the hilt was sticking out of an unzipped part. Shiro had recognized it  _ that _ easily.

 

Any slimmer of hope that Lance might have had that the mark could be coincidence disintegrated. He hadn’t gotten any new info about Shiro’s dreams, but this sure seemed like something.

 

“It is. He left it in a restaurant we were at, so I’m bringing it home to him,” Lance lied easily. Shiro lifted his eyebrows, amused, but also somewhat baffled.

 

“Seriously? Keith doesn’t leave that thing anywhere. It’s really special to him.”

 

“Really?” Lance asked, this being news to him. Other than with Red, Lance had never seen the blade before.

 

“Yeah,” Shiro said. “His mother gave it to him.”

 

And, suddenly, Lance felt his backpack weigh ten tons more. From his mother? Birth mother? How the heck had he been fighting with it this whole time? Why wasn’t it in a safe or a glass case somewhere?

 

“I told him he has to stop carrying it around everywhere with him because he’s going to get into trouble, but he never likes to be apart from it.”

 

“Oh,” Lance said, the only possible response he could have. The puzzle that was Keith was starting to have more and more pieces. He still couldn’t figure out how any of them fit, but they were beginning to form a fragmented picture in his mind.

 

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong, Lance?” Shiro asked, jogging Lance from his train of thought. “I’m always here to help.”

 

Lance considered telling him, but shook his head in the end. He had to do this himself first. He had to try to figure this out. “I’m good, Shiro. Thanks.”

 

Lance was walking toward the door then, Shiro watching after him. “Okay. Bye, Lance.”

 

“Bye,” Lance waved and shut the door behind him. He strode through the halls, his next destination already in mind.

 

Home.

 

-/-

 

When Lance entered their apartment, he could tell Keith was already home. For one, the door was unlocked because the idiot always forgot to lock it. For another, he could hear the faint noise of the TV and the kitchen light was on.

 

The living room light wasn’t, but Keith always liked watching things in the dark. Lance told him it would mess up his eyes, but had given up, finding the quirk kind of cute.

 

Lance announced his arrival with the sound of keys going into the basket by the door and Keith shouted a hello. Lance hung his coat on the hook and made his way into the living room, still holding his backpack. It was already dark outside, so the only light in there was the bright glow of the television and what light leaked through from the kitchen. Keith was wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and looked up when Lance came in, a reproachful smile on his face.

 

“Hey,” he said and Lance couldn’t say it back. He couldn’t do it as if everything was just alright.

 

So instead he said, “We need to talk.”

 

At this, Keith looked terrified, his grip tightening on the blanket. But he sat up straighter and nodded, looking as if he were marching to his own death. “We probably should.”

 

This caused Lance to pause. Did Keith already know? He knew Lance knew he was Red or did he know Lance was Blue? Or both?

 

Lance didn’t move from his place a few feet from the couch, so Keith sighed, dejected eyes looking down at the fabric of the couch. “You’re still mad at me.”

 

“What?” Lance asked, genuinely confused. Then, it hit him. They’d had that fight that morning. I was weird how it felt like a lifetime ago. 

 

“Look, I’m sorry,” Keith started, talking down to his hands and looking much too dejected for Lance’s liking. “I know you were just trying to help. And I  _ do _ trust you. There are just some things… that I can’t really…”

 

“No, no,” Lance butt in, having heard enough. “I’m not mad. I mean, I  _ was _ , but not anymore. I forgave you pretty quickly actually, and I kind of understand better now.”

 

“You do?” Keith asked, eyeing him and looking confused. Lance bit his lip and the sting reminded him that he had torn a hole in it earlier in the day.

 

“There’s… something I wanted to tell you. I was planning on telling you tonight, but then something happened, so now…”

 

“Tell me something? About the fight?” Keith asked, trying to wrap his mind around the subject change.

 

Lance shook his head. “Forget about the fight.”

 

Keith shut his mouth and Lance sighed, rubbing between his eyebrows. Then, he moved to sit on the couch. He pulled Keith into his arms and, Keith, surprised, complied.

 

_ I love you, Keith Kogane. _ He thought as he held the man of his dreams in his arms. His heart was torn in a million directions, but the most powerful seemed to pull him right there.  _ I love you so much. _

 

When Lance pulled away, he unzipped his bag and pulled out the knife, not letting himself think about it. When Keith saw it, he gasped. “This is yours, right?” Lance asked.

 

“H-how did you get that?” Keith asked carefully, staring at the knife now resting harmlessly in Lance’s hands. Lance had cleaned off the blade, not wanting to carry around something already incriminating enough without the blood all over it. That, and Lance couldn’t get the image of Red pausing, staring down at that bloodied knife as if the world was frozen and dead around him, out of his head.

 

“That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,” Lance said and Keith’s eyes sprang up from the knife to Lance’s face. There was a fear in them that Lance had never seen.

 

“You know,” he said simply, fear shaking his voice. Then, he smiled bitterly, nodding to himself. “Of course you do. You had to find out one day.” He sounded so resentful, but resigned all at once. The fear had gone down, but it was still there, hidden behind other emotions where Keith probably thought it was safely tucked away.

 

“How did you even get this?” Keith asked, gesturing to the knife. He hadn't even moved to take it yet, so Lance held it out to him. When Keith did take it, he seemed torn between a fondness for the blade and a repulsion.

 

“I got it from the alley after it fell from the roof,” Lance answered and Keith nodded. Then froze, a puzzled look crossing his face.

 

“What?” he asked. “You were  _ there _ ?”

 

“I've always been there,” Lance answered and wrung his hands. “Apparently.”

 

“What's that supposed to mean, 'apparently’?” Keith asked and Lance tapped at his thighs, fingers dancing. He ran one of those hands through his hair and breathed a forceful breath out. When it took too long for Lance to answer, Keith spoke up again. “Did… Shiro give you this?”

 

Lance's eyes found his and he hoped he portrayed a message through them. Something must have gotten across to Keith because his eyebrows furrowed.

 

Then, because Lance couldn't actually use his words at the moment, he decided to show Keith. He bent back down to his bag and pulled out the Barbie sized helmet, pressing the button on the inside. It grew and, going by Keith's sudden silence, he recognized it.

 

“Surprise,” Lance tried, stretching his lips in what should have been a smile, but appeared more as a grimace. Keith stared, awestruck and slightly terrified at the offending helmet.

 

“No,” Keith said, and Lance couldn't say it was a surprise. First stage was denial. “No, no, no.”

 

“Yep,” Lance said, fighting against chuckling nervously. Then, Keith stood up and Lance couldn't help remembering that morning, when Keith had run away instead of facing the situation. 

 

Lance stood up with him, holding up his hands to hopefully placate Keith's fight or flight, looking to be leaning on the side of flight.

 

Keith’s eyes were trained on his hands, looking as though he were fighting between pushing them away and holding them tight and never letting go.

 

“Please, stay,” Lance said and Keith’s eyes darted back up to his. He thought about Keith storming out as late as it was, wondering around the dark streets. He thought about Keith going to the Galra. “Don't run away again.”

 

Keith gave into the impulses Lance had seen shining in his eyes and grabbed Lance's hands. Tight. It grounded Lance as he securely curled his fingers around Keith's hands. “Then, what now?” Keith asked and Lance sighed, bending down to rest his head on Keith's shoulder.

 

There were a million questions Lance had wanted to ask Red. A million he wanted to ask Keith. And now they were both one and the same, and Lance had nothing.

 

There were definitely things he still wanted to know, but there and then Lance didn't want to move. If he moved, his brain told him, Keith might disappear. Usually, his brain was the logical one.

 

Despite the irrational thought, Keith started to retract himself even before Lance had moved an inch. Lance picked his head up and watched as Keith unwound their fingers, stepping back. He wanted to chase after him, but was afraid the chase would only hasten the escape.

 

“I- I need time,” Keith said and Lance's throat started to close, suffocating the words from his mouth. “I need to think.”

 

“It's late,” Lance managed to choke out. “Don't leave.”

 

Keith gave Lance one long look before caving. Nodding his head, he said, “Okay…” Still, he was turning away. “I'm going to take a shower,” he mumbled.

 

Lance had barely choked out an “ok” before Keith had disappeared to the bedroom and into the bathroom. There was a heavy weight in Lance's chest as he stood there, long after Keith had fled. Lance couldn't recall how long he stood in the middle of the living room until his heart picked up again.

 

Slowly, quietly, Lance crept to the bathroom door, pressing his ear against it. He could hear the rapid fall of water from the shower and the thudding of his own heartbeat. When he straightened again, his head felt like a large cavern. Empty, but for the faint noises that bounced around inside. He could feel the thoughts echoing around in there, but refused to take hold of any of them and stepped away from the door.

 

When he sunk down on their bed, everything came crashing down.

 

_ Why would Keith work for the Galra? How could he have done that to the mayor? How could he have  _ tortured _ someone? What do I even know about Keith? I thought I knew him; I thought I did. Do I really know him at all? _

 

Lance was breathing heavily, both hands on the sides of his head. He was close to sobbing out his frustration, confusion, and overwhelming anxiety, so he stood, stamping down those thoughts.

 

_ Keith lied this whole time. He’s hurt people and betrayed his own brother. He betrayed me. How can I trust him? And why, after all of this, can I still love him? _

 

Lance hadn't let himself dwell on it before, but the word struck him then. Love. It really was what he felt for Keith; there was no denying it. How could love make him feel this way? So broken? So torn up and fragile and confused? So utterly devoted even after everything he knew about Red? Now about Keith?

 

Lance stepped to the bathroom door again on shaky feet, voice trembling as he called, “Keith?” He needed guidance. Not words of comfort or reassurance, but simply to hear Keith's voice. So maybe he could remember why this could be happening - why he felt the way he did, why he loved this man. Because, as much as there was no denying the fact, Lance couldn't sort through his thoughts well enough at the moment to understand. He needed a light to guide him. Something so he could see.

 

When no reply came, Lance called again, voice a sob. He clamped his mouth shut at the unwanted noise, not wanting Keith to know how upset he really was. Still, there was no sound from beyond the door.

 

It was possible Keith just wanted his privacy. He closed off when he was upset; Lance had known him long enough to know that. But something felt off. Something wasn’t right.

 

“Keith?” he called again, the sobs controlled now, but a heavy weight in his gut letting him know that he was anything but fine. “Hey, I’m coming in.”

 

Then, he turned the knob and went into the bathroom. The shower was still running, but no one was in there. Lance’s heart sunk as he scanned his surroundings. Fogged up mirror, unused towel folded up neatly on the toilet seat cover, streaming water hitting nothing but the shower floor. 

 

An open window.

 

Lance’s eyes widened and he rushed to it, looking down immediately. The drop would have killed anyone; there was no way Keith would have gone out that way. But he hadn’t gotten out any other way… and he hadn’t disappeared in thin air.

 

But he did have the Red Lion.

 

And it was then that Lance realized. Keith had really left - after promising to stay, after Lance had been so sure he could keep Keith in his arms forever and never let the Galra or anyone else meaning harm get to him again, after questioning every reason Lance had to love him but loving even despite it all - Lance sunk to the tile floor, unable to hold himself together any longer.

 

-/-

 

Keith didn’t come home that night. He didn’t answer any of Lance’s calls. Blue couldn’t track them, nor did Allura text him with any instructions that Red was at Burke’s or any other place. Lance didn’t dare tell Allura or Shiro or Coran. Not that night when all Lance wanted was to cry and wait and hope - hope that Keith would just come back. Hope he would explain. Hope he would just let Lance help.

 

At first, Lance had thought his suspicions confirmed. Keith was a villain. Red did it because he wanted to, for money or some sick sadistic pleasure. But, the more he thought about it, the harder it became for those thoughts to weigh anything in his mind. It didn’t sound like Keith, his soulmate, the man he had come to know.

 

It was the second day Keith had been gone. Lance had gone to work and barely talked to anyone. He couldn’t stop thinking about him. Where could Keith have gone? Had he gone back to the Galra? Had he gone to stay at some motel for the night? Would he be home by the time Lance got back from his late shift? He was closing tonight, which gave Keith plenty of time.

 

But Keith wasn’t there and Lance was greeted by a quiet, empty apartment. The kitchen light wasn’t on. The TV wasn’t playing. The front door had been locked because, no, Keith hadn’t forgotten to lock it. He hadn’t been there.

 

Lance didn’t realize how crucial Keith had come to be in his life. Both of their schedules were wacky as hell, but, often, they coincided with each other. Lance knew the reason for that now, but the thought only left an empty hole in his stomach. He grabbed the blanket off of the couch that Keith loved to curl up in and wrapped it around himself, heading for the balcony. The cool night air helped him clear his mind.

 

As Lance stared blankly out into the lit city, he noted that his breathing was steady, each puff a physical relief on his body to take and release. It calmed him and he looked up at the sky, at the stars he’d never come down from.

 

Or... maybe he had. Was this what it felt like to fall from the stars? Was this what Keith had been wondering when he’d asked Lance not too long ago? As if everything was empty, helpless - like there was nothing to do to fix this. Lance couldn’t get Keith back, couldn’t make him trust him or help him, without Keith’s help first. The other side of the storm… Lotor had said he’d gone rogue for a time. That must have meant  _ something _ .

 

Keith, Lance decided, wouldn’t have helped the Galra if he didn’t have a choice. At first, it was to protect Shiro. Now… Lance didn’t know.

 

Lance didn’t feel like he belonged to the stars anymore. He’d fallen to Earth… but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. It had hurt, and he felt lost, but he belonged among people now. He belonged beside Keith.

 

The constellations were celestial, immortal. But they also looked so lonely up there. Lance’s eyes found Cygnus.

 

When Lance had been looking up constellations to show to Keith, he had also found the stories behind the one Keith had shown him. Cygnus had many, swans were prevalent in greek mythology apparently, but there was one that Lance had been familiar with already and thought of now.

 

The story of Orpheus and his trip to the underworld, to save his wife from death. Hades had allowed him to lead his wife back to the world of the living under the circumstance that he not look back at her until they were both safely above. When he failed, Orpheus stayed alone and forsaken in the world of the living until he was murdered by Dionysus’ followers for not dancing with them and tossed into a river where he transformed into a swan.

 

Orpheus had gone somewhere few would go to rescue someone he loved and, in the end, he'd only been dragged down as well. He landed among the stars, but Orpheus had still died, still gone down to Hades. Had he seen his wife again after that?

 

_ Sometimes, _ Keith had told him once, _ you try to help someone and you get so wrapped up in it that you can't find a way out. _

 

“If he's stuck, I want to help him get out,” Lance said to no one in particular. Sometimes, he talked to the stars. “I want to help him even if I get myself stuck in his stead.”

 

That night, Lance fell asleep on the balcony, Cygnus and Leo shining down on him, and he dreamed that, wherever he was, Keith could see them as well.

 

-/-

 

By the third day, Lance was seriously considering telling Shiro and Allura what was going on. He was worried about Keith and, at this rate, he'd never find him himself. It was obvious that Keith wasn't coming home.

 

It was late in the day and Lance was working out the cricks in his neck and back from sleeping in that stiff chair on the balcony when Blue brushed his mind, closer than she had been in days. She'd been comforting him, but mostly she had been out looking, trying to sense Red.

 

Lance looked up, hurting all the tight muscles in him but not caring when he saw Blue standing on the balcony, beckoning to him.

 

_ Found. _

 

She had found them.

 

Lance didn't even put on his suit before he threw open the door and jumped on Blue’s back, and Blue didn't question either. They were off before Lance could ask any questions.

 

Blue flew to the roof where Lance had seen Red last… where he had figured out that Red really was Keith and everything had blown to pieces. And, there, sitting on the edge of the building, facing the setting sun, was Red in his black and purple suit. His lion was curled up beside him, resting his head in Keith's lap.

 

The Red Lion must have sensed them, but neither he nor Keith showed any signs they knew what was behind them. Lance and Blue touchdowned silently, Blue proudly standing beside him as Lance warily looked at the figures at the other side of the roof.

 

“You should go,” Keith said and, for a moment, Lance thought he was talking to his lion. The Red Lion didn't move and Lance realized.

 

“I need answers,” he said and flinched at his own tone. In his effort to keep himself from breaking down again his voice had turned hard and biting. Too straight forward for all the things he wanted to say to Keith. For wanting to wrap the other man up in his arms. Still, in the suit, Keith didn't look like Keith. After months of only seeing Red like this, merging the two still proved complicated.

 

Red did not answer him and Lance swallowed, looking down at the lion in his lap. The Red Lion was looking at him, then at Blue. He seemed sad and Lance could tell it killed him to go against Blue and the rest of his kin.

 

“You use him for… this,” Lance said, heart pulling empathetically for the Red Lion. “Why?”

 

“It's a very long story,” Keith said, his eyes not leaving the sky. The sun was so low that most of the sky was purple now. It would be dark any minute.

 

“I've got time,” Lance said easily, pleading with eyes Red could not see. That was when he turned around and Lance could see his face. Red without a mask. 

 

“Well I don't,” he answered harshly and, just as soon, jerked his head away. His back was stiff, shoulders high.

 

It was easy for Lance to say, “Red, talk to me.”

 

“Lance, I  _ can't _ ,” he shot back immediately and that name coming from the person in that suit, the person with the Red Lion on their lap, coming from who he'd been fighting for  _ months _ without having any idea. Lance’s breath caught involuntarily. Something about the way Red said his name, his civilian name, made it all seem so final.

 

Lance stepped forward, slightly afraid to approach. But this was  _ Keith _ . His soulmate. So he sat down next to him and took his hand. “Keith, please.” Keith wouldn't look at him. Lance just needed him to look. He needed to see those purple eyes. Instead, his gaze went upward.

 

“There's something you forgot to say about Leo when you first showed me,” he said and his unoccupied hand went up to sweep the stars. Lance looked up and chuckled.

 

“That it was a hint to my  _ secret identity _ ?” he asked. An empty tease.

 

“That it's your zodiac,” Keith said and Lance gave him a look. “It's something about you. The you I got to know.”

 

A lump caught in Lance's throat. Did Keith think he didn't know Lance anymore? That, because he'd been keeping this a secret everything else must have been a lie to? 

 

“I'm still me,” he said and Keith nodded.

 

“I know that,” Keith said and his eyes grew sad. Lance wanted to lean forward and brush his hair away, to kiss his cheek and tell him everything was going to be okay. Keith just had to tell him, let Lance help. “But I won't have the opportunity to know this side of you.”

 

“Keith-” Lance tried to protest, but Keith shook his head.

 

“I don't know what you want from me,” was what he said and Lance wanted to grab Keith's face and have him  _ look  _ at him. He couldn't do anything when Keith looked so faraway. So lost.

 

“Tell me what's going on,” Lance pleaded. “Let me help you.”

 

But, apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say. Keith stiffened and stood, Lance's hand trailing after him. He kept his grip tight, refusing to let go.

 

“What's going on is clear enough, I think,” Keith said and looked again out toward the city and skyline. Something seemed to drain from him then and he squeezed Lance's hand. 

 

“You wouldn't do this,” Lance tried to talk some sense into Keith, who was quickly looking as though he was losing his will and fight. He pulled at Keith's hand, trying to get him to look down.  _ Look at me, Keith! _ “I  _ know _ you, Keith. There's something else. Tell me.”

 

Keith didn't budge, eyes trained away, but shook his head. Suddenly, he slackened his grip on Lance's hand and, it was such a surprise to Lance that he yelped. Then, he held tighter.

 

“Keith, what are you doing?” Lance asked, and the tighter his chest felt, the tighter his grip went on Keith's hand. But Keith stepped away, able to break their connection.

 

Lance jumped to his feet, insides shaking as he tried to follow Keith's quickly retreating form.

 

“Keith-” Lance tried, but, again, was cut off.

 

“Take care, Lance,” Keith said, and Lance felt like he was going to throw up.

 

_ Not again. Not again not again not again. _

 

“No,” he begged, voice rawer than he gave it right to be. “No! No, Keith, please-”

 

Finally,  _ finally _ Keith looked up, eyes connecting. Lance could see their purple, sad dull color. So different than they'd been that first day. So much more history, joy and sorrow in them. These past months really had been a lifetime of their own. Lance saw tears there, but, as soon as he seemed to register them, Keith had too and was shaking his head to get rid of them.

 

Then, he smiled. Keith  _ smiled _ at him. And Lance could tell it was for his own benefit because he  _ knew _ Keith's smiles and this was the saddest one he'd ever seen.

 

“Goodbye, Lance,” Keith nearly whispered and Lance yelled after him to  _ wait! stop! don't go! _

 

But Red had already hopped up and Keith had gotten on and they both were gone.

 

And Lance could only watch as they left him behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see, eh? Exactly a month, actually. Perfect time to post. Also, not gonna lie, the comment I got today may have put me in good spirits to tackle it. Thanks so much, commenter!!  
> So, looks like we've made it full circle. The secret is out and the prologue has a little more context. And that legend of Orpheus up there? Killed me to put it so briefly. It probably sounds outrageous without all the details (looking at the followers of Dionysus there), but I tried to only put what was important for this story.  
> Anyway, I should probably point out that this fic is now 7 chapters instead of 6. Chapter five was giving me hell with how much happened in it and I've been debating whether to split it for a while now. Finally, I looked at what the word count would be and... 17k? In one chapter? Nah.  
> Anyway, in next chapter: um, the beginning is basically the end and stuff happens in between. I guess I'll see you then! Thanks for your kudos and comments, guys!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I've upped the rating from T to M!!  
> The violence gets a lot more intense at the end of this chapter, so skip to the end notes if you need to see how to avoid it and what you need to know for the next chapter! Stay safe, guys, and enjoy the chapter!

Keith had to pause on another random rooftop to collect himself. 

 

Red didn’t mind the stop. He acted tough, but Keith knew it must have been hard to leave Blue like that. He and Red were alike in that way. They buried their feelings, pretended their emotions didn’t exist. Red was better at it though.

 

Meanwhile, Keith was taking the time to focus on his breathing, tilting his head upward to blink away the tears quickly pooling at the edges of his eyelids. Red didn’t look and Keith was grateful for that. He didn’t like when people could see him cry. Or mystical lions, for that matter.

 

Which was why it must have been the opportune moment for another figure to emerge from the shadows. Keith didn’t even blink. He knew who it was. Question was: why was his royal pain in the ass out at this time in the evening? Keith hoped it wasn’t to hand some robbery over to him, make him do the dirty work Lotor had actually been assigned. Public missions like that always meant running into Blue. Into Lance…

 

“Red!” Lotor exclaimed. He had been mocking that name ever since he’d learned it was what Blue called him and it got so far beneath Keith’s skin... It sounded wrong on Lotor’s tongue.

 

“What do you want, Lotor?” Keith growled, and the spike in his emotions must have called Red closer. He was now at Keith’s hand, watching Lotor with narrowed eyes.

 

“You haven’t been picking up your phone… we thought something must have happened,” Lotor said in a way that showed he definitely hadn’t cared one way or another.

 

“Alright, what do you need then?” Keith asked, hoping to cut to the chase and leave. He’d rather get this over with and get away from the creep. 

 

Then again… once he’d received a new mission, he’d probably run right into Lance, a situation he was seriously avoiding at the moment.

 

But, instead, “Your presence at headquarters,” Lotor said flippantly, shrugging his shoulders, and that caught Keith off guard.

 

“What the hell do you need me there for?”

 

Lotor shrugged, uncaring. “I’m just the messenger, as dull as that is. Also, the escort.”

 

“Escort?” Keith asked, nose scrunching. “I know where to go.”

 

“Consider it a formality,” Lotor said, eyes sharper than before. An unsettled feeling crept into Keith’s blood, tingling at his fingers.

 

“I think I’m passed formalities in your little organization by now, don’t you think?” Keith asked, stepping back slowly. Lotor’s eyes caught this and his stance changed from the usual nonchalance to something lethal. Keith’s fists were balling, readying for a fight, but, before he knew it, he was lying on his back, the breath knocked out of his lungs.

 

“You should know by now in our  _ little organization _ not to question me,” Lotor bit out, but all Keith could do was look up dizzyingly. “Not many people can go against me, little Red; don’t try it again.”

 

“Blue can,” Keith mumbled before he considered it too much. Lotor’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Blue is exactly our problem,” he said and Keith blinked away the stars from his eyes, focusing on what Lotor had said.

 

And the implications behind it.

 

“Time to test the bond of soulmates,” Lotor said next, lips curling as he spoke. “Do you think your Blue will come for you?”

 

Keith’s eyes widened. “I- I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Ugh. I was hoping you wouldn’t do that,” Lotor rolled his eyes then leaned in, hissing in his ear. “Do you think I’m here without proof? I saw you and him. On that roof just ten minutes ago. How careless can you  _ get _ ?”

 

“He won’t come,” Keith denied, but something crawling and panicky creeped into his gut. “He thinks I’m one of you. I’m not his soulmate anymore as far as he’s concerned.”

 

“Funny!” Lotor laughed, a genuine laugh, leaning back and barking into the air. “You’re funny, Keith Kogane. But that’s not how I think soulbonds work.”

 

Then there was a pinch in Keith’s arm and he flinched. “Wha-?” He looked down and his heart sank. “No.”

 

A syringe protruded from his arm, liquid that he was all too familiar with, leaking into his vein.

 

“Now be good, Kogane, and go on to sleep,” Lotor murmured. Wait, no, not murmured. His voice was becoming quieter and quieter, but it wasn’t because Lotor made it so. The world around Keith was blurring, muffling. A confused knot formed in his brow. Lotor’s laugh drummed in Keith’s ear in a low vibration. “It’s still what you think it is. We’ve just added a bit… extra. To sedate you. So much easier this way.”

 

“Red…” Keith mumbled, but his lion’s presence was ebbing away just like the rest of his senses. Lotor laughed again and Keith hated how his pliant body could cause such humor in this demented man’s head. “Red… go…”

 

Keith couldn’t tell if he flew away or not. His lion’s power was becoming so faraway, so out of reach. Just as the world was around him.

 

Then, everything faded to black.

 

-/-

 

Lance had gone back to the apartment, sure it couldn't be where Keith had retreated to. Keith hadn't been there in days; why would he come back while still trying to avoid Lance? Still running away...

 

Lance had been pacing the living room for what seemed like hours. Oddly enough, the clock on the opposite wall told him it had been merely minutes. Maybe it was running out of batteries. He should check that out. He'd do that right now. Yeah, he'd definitely do that right now.

 

Searching for batteries kept his hands busy and his mind occupied, away from things that could only bring him crashing down all over again. Like the color red. Or Keith's ramen in the cabinet. He couldn't even look at the stars, his constant source of comfort, because he had given those to Keith too.

 

He changed the batteries on the clock, knowing perfectly well the device was working fine, but unsatisfied until he was done. When he placed it back on the wall, he spent a good five minutes adjusting it, always feeling like something was off.

 

The 12 and 3 were a perfect ninety degree angle, aligned with the window and the ceiling. Even so, Lance's skin tingled with the wrongness of it.

 

_ “Like this?” Keith had asked, positioning the clock as Lance stood back, his hands forming a square like some photographer while he examined the wall. _

 

_ It was a warm day, a rare, actually nice spring day. The sunlight made everything appear so much brighter. Full of color. _

 

_ “No, a little further- Keith, the other way!” Lance was laughing and Keith, just a bit frustrated. The pout on his lips was adorable. _

 

The sound of his laughter echoed in Lance’s ears, the memory soon encompassing Keith's as well when Lance had snuck up behind him and poked him in the side. A sad smile lingered as he stepped back to look at the clock. The room felt colder on his skin, the colors dark grey and shadowy.

 

The clock was wrong so perfectly aligned. It wouldn't be the same until he got Keith to do it again.

 

If that day ever came, Lance would probably cry when it was set right.

 

That was when a sudden light enveloped the room and, at first, Lance didn't blink twice. Blue had been keeping an eye on him ever since they'd last seen Keith and Red on that rooftop in midtown. She had probably sensed his crumbling emotional state and come to keep him company.

 

Except, Blue’s light always threw the room into light, icier tones. The walls would dance like an aquarium, her light so obviously artificial in it's striking color. This warm, setting sun of color was not what Lance was used to.

 

He spun around to a bright ember standing in the middle of his living room, coal-like eyes searing into his own. The Red Lion stood proud, but his eyes were desperate.

 

_ Help him. _

 

Lance stumbled back at the sudden intrusion in his mind. That wasn't Blue, yet the feeling was similar. It was the sense of something feeding ideas straight into his head. Blue’s presence felt somewhat different, but, overall, this really was the same.

 

And it was coming from the Red Lion.

 

Then, Blue walked in, standing as tall as Red as she faced him. The room danced with their blues and reds, cold and warmth. Lance couldn't imagine what was going on.

 

Until he remembered the words Red had imprinted in his mind.

 

“Help him…” he mumbled, his heart constricting. “Help who? Red, who's in trouble?” Lance stepped closer desperately. There was only one person Red would come here for. Only one person he would ask Lance to help.

 

In unison, both Blue and Red spoke in his mind, the one word he'd been waiting to hear, the one name of the one person he would do anything for. Would collect the sky and the stars for. Would  _ leave _ the sky and the stars for.

 

His new sky of stars.

 

_ Keith. _

 

-/-

 

Lance was in full paladin gear faster than Red could fly, which, following said lion at Blue’s top speed, was really freaking fast. Blue could only keep him in sight as she raced behind, but that was enough. Lance knew the panic that must have been coursing through Red’s veins because Lance was experiencing the same. They had to get there as quickly as they could.

 

Which meant he couldn't do much of anything at the moment other than focusing on not falling off of Blue’s back and watching the red glow ahead. Following, following, faster, faster-

 

Until they got there. And he remembered there.

 

“This is where we found Keith that one night,” Lance murmured to his lion, scanning the alleys around them. That night they had been following Red, this must have been where the lion had gone. Of course, because this had been exactly where they'd run into Keith.

 

“So this is Galra headquarters,” Lance said, eyes trained on one unsuspecting door that Red was obviously restraining himself from tearing open with furious jaws. Lance gulped, more for the HQ than the dangerous lion. Though Red was plenty scary. He seemed really protective over his paladin.

 

But, still. This was the place. The door they'd been looking for for years. Where, behind it, the inner workings of Altea’s most notorious villains congregated. It was baffling to finally be there and a little intimidating. It only made him more worried that, apparently, they would be finding Keith inside.

 

And a little impressed that Keith had actually found the place all on his own all those months ago.

 

It reminded Lance of one last thing he needed to do before they went inside, since it had been virtually impossible to do so on the ride over without falling off his lion. Lance tapped a few things on his suit’s gauntlet, opening up emergency communication with their own HQ.

 

_ “Lance? What is the matter?”  _ Allura asked from across the line, straight to the chase. It  _ was _ an emergency call, after all.

 

“Found Galra HQ. Requesting immediate backup,” was all he said, eyes boring into the door ahead of him then looking around. Surely they would have security around here. Maybe cameras?

 

They would know he was coming.

 

_ “Galra headquarters?!”  _ Allura asked, with a tad of disbelief. It didn't last long, though. Allura knew when Lance was being serious, and he could picture her now nodding seriously in his head.  _ “I advise to not engage at the moment. Come back to HQ and we will strategize. Do not let them know you know of their location.” _

 

“No can do, Allura. For one, they probably already know I'm here. For another, Keith's in there and I'm not leaving him,” Lance said, resolve set in stone. A stone that was bound to last so long, in such beautiful condition that it would one day end up on display in a museum.

 

_ “Keith?” _ Allura asked, disbelieving once again. She knew who Keith was well by then, having to hear both Shiro and Lance go on about him. Still, she was right to be skeptical.  _ “How in the world would they have your soulmate?” _

 

Lance let out a frustrated noise between his teeth, hand clenching into a fist as he held it up to his helmet. He released the fist and his frustration all in one, breathing, before replying. “Allura, I promise I will tell you. I will catch you up on this whole dang thing. But, for right now, this moment, I  _ need backup _ .”

 

There was a silent moment where Lance thought she wouldn't. Would demand more answers. Then, “I will send it.” The breath Lance hadn't realized he'd been holding in came bursting out, his body slumping a bit. He was just about to rattle off a quick thanks before turning off the comm before Allura spoke up once more. “Lance? Just, please be careful. These are the Galra; you know what they are capable of.”

 

Lance's mind flashed to the mayor. Bloodied. Bruised. And by the hand of the Red Paladin.

 

Yes, he knew all too well what the Galra were capable of. Because, somehow, they had made Keith do that.

 

Because, now, Lance  _ knew _ his soulmate would never do such a thing - not if there wasn't something more to it.

 

He had faith in Keith.

 

“I know plenty of what they're capable of,” Lance confirmed, then, just as Allura was telling him to stay on the comms, he signed off. He'd deal with her wrath later.

 

He faced the door and stepped up to it. The faster he got in, the faster he could find Keith and get out.

 

He knew the Galra were capable of plenty. He just hoped they wouldn't be able to do anymore before Lance arrived.

 

-/-

 

The inside of their headquarters was surprisingly as dank and dreary as the outside. The hallways were dark, lit only by the creepy ambiance of red emergency lights, and the floors probably hadn't been cleaned in a long while. You'd think such a successful organization of villains would have better upkeep.

 

Red added to the crimson colors in the halls but, at least with his light, Lance could actually see shit. Plus, his presence was soothing, along with Blue’s on Lance's other side. Being backed by two lions was definitely helping Lance’s confidence because, right now, he felt like he'd stepped straight into the setting of a warehouse chainsaw horror flick.

 

Lance had been hoping they could rely on Red to lead the way, but it seemed something wasn't quite right with the lion.

 

“Red,” Lance dared to whisper, “where's Keith?”

 

A tangle of emotions was thrown back at him, all containing their fair deal of confusion and frustration. Lance decided to pick one of the ones he found and sort through Red's wild thoughts on his own. Then, dread the size of Texas filled his chest.

 

“What's that supposed to mean?” Lance asked insistently, struggling to keep his voice down in his worry. Then, Blue's mind brushed his.

 

_ Cannot find him. _

 

“What do you mean?” Lance asked her, gut twisting and pulling like he wasn't trying to fucking  _ rescue someone here _ .

 

_ The bond. _ Blue responded, head tilted at Red in contemplation.  _ Something is wrong with the bond. _

 

The bond? Did she mean Red and Keith's bond? Something was wrong with it? How? Why?

 

“So he can't find Keith?” Was what he ended up asking instead, basically repeating what had already been said. Blue responded with a comforting embrace in his mind. The lack of actual response only proved to put him on edge though.

 

They continued along the corridor, guessing their whole way. None of them had a clue where to look, but all three were so set on it that it didn't matter. Lance could still feel Red brushing against his mind, faintly, but there. He was worried, but determined. He thought if he could only get closer, perhaps he could pick up on Keith's energy and latch on again.

 

When both Red and Blue’s ears perked up, Lance's heart did tumbles. They hurried on ahead and Lance had no choice but to follow, almost shaking at the prospect of what they would find.

 

_ Keith? Is it Keith? _ He shouted in his headspace, aimed at both of the hurrying lions. Neither of them graced him with an answer, which wasn't weird for Red, but Blue…

 

What was going on?

 

They arrived at a door that looked heavily armored and both of the lions growled at it like it was evil itself, like it was barring them of the only freedom they could ever have. Lance was starting to become scared with the way they were acting. Never had Blue seemed so out of her head and never had she ignored him like this. Blue knew what ignoring Lance did to his mentality.

 

So Lance didn't let it bother him. This was obviously really important if they were acting as such, though, somehow, Lance doubted this had to do with Keith.

 

So he shot at the door, hoping he'd hit the lock. It was doubtful, the thing looked like it had twenty bolts firmly locked into the wall. A gun wouldn't do much, even if it was his Bayard.

 

“Guys, I don't know what to do about this,” Lance said, but this didn't help the anxiety and furiousness with which the two stood at the door. This was nonnegotiable. They were getting in that door.

 

It looked like the only way in was with a passkey. So…

 

“Be right back, guys,” Lance said and hefted his gun. He took off down the corridor, on the lookout for the opportunity he was looking for. When he found someone, he immediately stunned them and lifted their pass. “Perfect,” he mumbled and took off back to where the lions stood, guarding the door.

 

Except, it was  _ not _ so perfect.

 

ACCESS DENIED

 

“Shit,” Lance cursed under his breath and shot a look to the lions. Still not moving. He sighed and took off again. “Be back. Again.”

 

Lance stunned a lot of people that day, lifted a lot of badges, when, finally, one of them worked.

 

Lance whooped, perhaps a bit too loudly for what was supposed to be a stealth mission, as the door slid open. Then, Lance's voice died in his throat.

 

What the cell had been keeping burst forth almost immediately, now surrounded by Red and Blue who were excitedly crowding him.

 

Lance went straight for his comm, clicking it on and mumbling, “Um, Allura? Shiro?”

 

“I think we found the Black Lion.”

 

-/-

 

So, Lance had three lions following him down a Galra base hallway, one of which was the massive Black Lion, leader of the lions of Voltron, another, the elusive Red Lion, who had been in enemy hands all these years, and, the third, yeah, was  _ his _ lion, the Blue Lion, the best of 'em all, in his opinion. 

 

And they were all flanking  _ Lance. _ One measly paladin. Following him like he was their leader or something.

 

Yeah, this wasn't weird at all.

 

So, they continued to walk much like they'd been doing before Red and Blue had freaked out and ran off to find Black. It was weird. Plenty weird. Lance could handle a lot of weird but… this was  _ so weird! _

 

Nevertheless, it was comforting to have three lions at his back. Still, you'd think the lions would be a better help.

 

“None of you have  _ any _ idea where we're going?” Lance groaned… again. He'd been asking them this a lot. What? They were mystical, powerful, lions with knowledge that probably surpassed this Earth! How could they  _ not _ have any idea what to do here? “Red? You've spent a lot of time not locked up in here, haven't you?”

 

Red lifted his lip in disgust.

 

_ Avoided this place. Only my paladin entered. _

 

“Oh, great,” Lance sighed. “That's real helpful.”

 

Still, Lance could imagine why Keith had wanted to keep Red away with how they'd locked up Black like that. Lance didn't even think it was possible to imprison the lions.

 

_ Almost impossible. _ Blue said.  _ They did something to his bond. _

 

“The bond again. Why is it always the bond?” Lance asked, then paused. Red said his and Keith's bond had been weakened. Shiro was always saying how he couldn't reach out to the Black Lion anymore. And, now, Blue was saying the bond itself had been tampered with by the Galra.

 

What were they doing in this place?

 

Lance pushed it out of his mind. Instead, he tilted his head toward big, dark, and surly. “Why can't I hear  _ him _ ?”

 

_ You do not share a bond.  _ Blue responded and it would have been a simple enough answer if for not…

 

“But I can hear Red,” he pointed out and Blue  _ laughed _ ! “Hey!”

 

_ You share a bond with Red as well, my paladin. _ Blue finally said, amusement and a hint of jealousy underlying her words.

 

“What? Seriously?” Lance asked, a little bit in awe. Red shot him a look, trying to seem unimpressed, but he caught a hint of a smirk traveling across their bond. “Woah…” Lance said, taking in the weight of another bond for the first time.

 

As they walked ahead, Lance went on thinking. “Do you think you have a bond with Keith too, Blue?” He asked. “Maybe this connection has something to do with us being soulmates!”

 

Blue seemed uncomfortable for a second, shooting a look over to Red, and then to Black. Then, she looked forward.

 

_ We should be moving on, my paladin. _

 

Lance frowned but complied. He could take a hint. There was something here… something they weren't telling him.

 

But now Lance was focused again. On the mission. On the reason they'd come here. They had to find Keith.

 

Lance spotted a camera at the end of the hall and immediately ducked for cover along the nearest hallway. When he stopped to think, he realized how deep into the complex they had gotten. That  _ could not _ have been the first camera they'd come across.

 

So why hadn't they set off any alarms? Why had no one come after them?

 

“Allura?” He asked into his mic. “Why aren't they picking us up on any of their cameras?”

 

“Lance!” she shouted, surprised. After the last time he'd checked in, he'd signed off as quickly as the first. He could hear the frustration in her voice, but she kept it down, focusing on the mission. “I had Pidge take care of it,” she answered. She seemed out of breath. “Pidge nor Hunk can make it, but they can still help from where they're at. Now that we know the building, Pidge was able to take down surveillance and hack into a few other things for us. It's not necessarily legal, I must say…”

 

“Where are you, anyway?” Lance asked. “You sound like you're out of breath.”

 

“On our way, of course. It should be me and Shiro until the police also arrive, but it's all we have.”

 

“What?” Lance asked in alarm. “But you and Shiro shouldn't come!”

 

“Do you think Shiro’s just going to sit back while his brother’s in danger?” Allura asked, but didn't wait for a response. “And, like hell you'll keep  _ me _ out of this. This is the root of our problem in Altea. We've been trying to find the Galra base here for years.” He could hear the smirk on her lips and it made Lance want to smile too. “We'll be in shortly.” Then, the call cut.

 

Lance turned to the three lions, feeling confidant. “Looks like we've got help on the way. It's going to be a party.”

 

“Well good,” a voice from behind him snarled and Lance's confidence landed in his gut. “I always enjoy the balloons.”

 

Lance picked up his confidence carefully, brushed it off, and turned around, transforming his Bayard. “Wow,” he said, hefting the gun, “Of all the lines,  _ that's _ the one you're going with?”

 

And apparently that wasn't the right thing to say because mr big and gnarly bared his teeth and charged.

 

-/-

 

“Don't worry. I'm messing around with their cameras and security all over the place. And Hunk’s keeping an eye on those screens, right, Hunk?” Shiro heard Pidge through his helmet as he and Allura walked along the halls of the Galra base.

 

“Oh yeah, I've got you guys. Watching your back and Shay’s here too! Double the eyes on you two.” Came Hunk’s reply off in Balmera. 

 

“Alright,” Allura said beside him, speaking into her own helmet. “Let us know if you find anything.”

 

“Especially Lance or Keith,” Shiro chimed in, having eased back into his role as leader quite quickly considering the short time he'd been back in his suit. “We'll scope the place out as best as we can.”

 

“Roger that,” Pidge said and Shiro could picture them saluting their computer screen. Both Pidge and Hunk signed off, leaving Allura and Shiro alone to check the place out. 

 

As soon as they had stepped in the door, Shiro's nerves had skyrocketed, the familiarity of the halls and dark corners way too close to some of the things he remembered. He couldn't let anyone get tipped off to his sudden jittery nervous system, though. He was the level head. He was the leader. And this mission was more important than any of the others Shiro had gone on.

 

Because, on this one, he was here to save his brother.

 

When Shiro had heard that Keith had been taken here, he'd stood immediately from his chair in Allura’s office, ready to speed off to whatever location they tracked Lance's suit from. Since living in Voltron HQ, Shiro had been visiting her a lot, as she seemed to be always in her office. They'd gotten the news that Lance had found the Galra base during one of their chats.

 

It was practically his worst nightmare. For his brother, for anyone he cared for, to come into the clutches of the Galra. He wouldn't wish it upon his worst enemy… though that saying seemed a bit counterintuitive since the Galra  _ were _ their worst enemy. The fact of the matter, though, was Shiro would do anything to get Keith out.

 

Walking through those halls was testament to Shiro’s desperation. With every turn, it seemed that more and more came back, spots in his memory being filled.

 

It was little things. Walking along the same corridors he'd been walked down in shackles, recognizing the sterile smell of the hallways, remembering passing faces, fleeting sensations. Trying to be brave. Being absolutely terrified. Helpless.

 

He wasn't helpless anymore.

 

“Shiro?” Allura called as they walked side by side, her staff out on the defensive. She was giving him a considering look. “Is everything okay?”

 

Shiro turned away, focusing on the hall ahead of them. “Of course.”

 

“Let me know if it becomes too much,” she said and Shiro's eyes averted to the floor. “You are not invincible, Shiro.”

 

Shiro's eyes fell closed as he sighed. If he weren't wearing a helmet, his headache could use a rub to the temple. Instead, he looked back up and continued to walk.

 

“Of course,” he said again. “No one is invincible.” Despite this being so obvious now, Shiro still had a hard time saying it. He'd tell the others all day long not to push themselves too hard, not to think too harshly of themselves, but, when it came to himself, taking that weight from his shoulders was a whole other beast.

 

“Hey guys,” another voice came through their comms and Shiro's hand came immediately up to where his ear would be, pressing against the side of the helmet as though it would help him hear better.

 

“Yes, Hunk?” he asked. When nothing came through, a hint of worry slipped into his veins. “Hunk, do you read?”

 

“Yeah, I-” came his voice before it cut out again. “Comms- shaky but I think-”

 

The static that came through was harsh on his ears and, going by Allura's grimace, she was experiencing the same. She looked down the hall. “We should continue.”

 

Shiro, still reproachful after the fitful comm, considered briefly before following after. Even without someone watching their backs, they'd be prepared enough to face anything that came their way. This was only a minor setback.

 

Still, whatever Hunk had been trying to tell them had probably been important, so Shiro kept an extra careful eye out.

 

“Guys,” Hunk’s voice crackled through again, sounding alert, “Found- behind you-”

 

“Behind us?” Allura's voice came, spinning just as Shiro did to face down the hall behind them. They both lowered their stances, weapon and fists drawn.

 

“Hunk,” Shiro said into his helmet, “Hunk, come in. What is it? What's behind us?”

 

Shiro's head was swiveling between the hallways, both in front and behind them, which was now switched from what it had been before. He saw nothing, but Hunk had said-

 

“We should get out of whatever-it-is’s way,” Allura said, eyes still trained down the hall, but letting up on her stance slightly. “We can hide.”

 

“Good idea,” Shiro said and they ducked down the hall they were closest to. Shiro continued to try getting through to Hunk, or even Pidge, but it seemed they'd hit a dead zone. Allura kept watch around the corner, but turned back to him and shrugged.

 

“There's nothing there,” she said, baffled.

 

“What did Hunk mean then?” Shiro asked, but neither had an answer to that one. After a few more ticks of waiting, Shiro’s tense shoulders eventually sagged. “We should keep going now.”

 

Allura nodded but stopped in the middle of the motion, freezing. Shiro’s blood ran quicker as Allura's eyes widened. “Do you hear that?”

 

Shiro shook his head, eyebrows furrowed. He didn't hear anything, but, then again, Allura had always had better hearing than he did.

 

They both stayed as silent as possible, Shiro straining to hear whatever it was. Then, he did. Footsteps, light and casual, coming down the hall and, at that point, Shiro was starting to see something as well. A glowing, spreading along the walls, faint at first, but growing brighter and brighter as whatever it was approached.

 

Something stirred in Shiro's gut and, for a moment, the feeling felt familiar to him. But it was gone just as soon as it had appeared. What- what  _ was _ that?

 

The steps grew closer, closer. Allura brought forth her staff, Shiro activated his arm so it glowed almost the same light as that along the walls. They waited. And waited. And-

 

“What do you mean?” A voice echoed along the halls. Shiro could tell whoever it was wasn't letting their voice raise too loud, probably intimidated by the dark and empty halls, but their normal register was still in the louder range of things.

 

He was talking to someone, but, that was weird; Shiro hadn't heard any other steps. Maybe one of them had a really light tread. They'd have to be careful when listening out for if they were truly gone.

 

The steps drew closer and Shiro wondered if they would pass them. He pressed closer to the wall. It was dark enough that they could possibly go unnoticed. He only hoped they weren't going to turn down this hall.

 

“That's weird,” the same voice said and Shiro’s face scrunched again. He hadn't heard a reply after the guy's first question. But, more than that, something about the voice was tipping Shiro off.

 

For a second, he feared it would be someone from his days as a prisoner, then any thought of that was banished when he recognized the voice.

 

“We've been walking around  _ forever _ ,” the guy complained and maybe that was the reason Shiro figured it out. It seemed Allura had as well because that was when she turned toward him, rolling her eyes. 

 

They both straightened up and walked out. Lance yelped, jumping at least a mile into the air.

 

“ _ Shit _ , guys!” he exclaimed, Bayard out but having already recognized them immediately. He lowered the gun. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

 

“Good seeing you too, Lance,” Shiro laughed. That was when Allura marched up to the poor unsuspecting guy and grabbed his ear. Shiro flinched in sympathy.

 

“And what sort of idea is it to turn off your comms?” she scolded and Lance’s face contorted in pain at the ear pulling.

 

“I'm sorry, Allura! Really!” he pleaded, bending to try to wiggle his way out of the tugging, but Allura's hold was firm. “Man, you're worse than my mom at this!”

 

Allura sighed and let go. Lance, naturally, scrambled away out of reaching distance. To be honest, though, Allura might have been as surprised as Shiro was at the sight behind Lance.

 

“Lance, what is this?” Allura asked, but Shiro was too distracted to pay good attention. Because, right then, Black stepped forward.

 

Shiro sucked in a breath and waited for it, for Black to brush his mind, but nothing came. 

 

“Why is the Red Lion here?” came Allura's voice again and Shiro was shocked out of his own quiet revelation and panic.

 

Sure enough, there were three lions behind Lance. Black. Blue. And none other than the Red Lion too.

 

“It's… a long story?” Lance answered and both Shiro and Allura looked at him as if he had lost his head. “Seriously guys. I don't think now’s the time and  _ I  _ don't even have the whole story so…”

 

But Lance didn't have to. Shiro was looking at the Red Lion, then, it was as if he wasn't there. He doubled over, something flashing in his mind.

 

“Shit!” Lance exclaimed, followed by Allura calling his name. Shiro, however, could barely hear anything outside of his own head.

 

He had seen Red before. In this building. And he'd met the Red Paladin too.

 

It was just a slimmer of a whole shit storm of memories, but it was just enough for him to understand.

 

“Keith…” he groaned, barely surfacing from his thoughts. He could see him now, pleading, standing alongside Red, all sullen faced and morbid acceptance.  _ This is my role now, Shiro. _

 

There was a hand on his shoulder that stiffened. Shiro was in the hall, but he couldn't keep the words out of his head. Couldn't keep Keith's face from his mind - what he had only thought to be some strange nightmare, now the answer they had all been looking for. 

 

Shiro looked up, and Lance and Allura were both holding onto his shoulders. His eyes connected with Lance's, whose own were full of worry and dread. Lance knew already. He had to.

 

Shiro found Red again, who was standing still, watching on like the rest of the lions. He gulped before saying, voice low, “I remember.”

 

He looked at Lance again, who was waiting with pursed lips. He looked like he could empathize with Shiro’s horrid realization.

 

“It's Keith,” Shiro said, though the words sounded ridiculous in his mouth. Still, Lance had a pained smile on his face as he nodded.

 

“I don't understand,” Allura said from his other side, voice confused but soft. She had been around Shiro’s nightmares more times than anyone these past months to know better than startling him.

 

Shiro was still watching Lance though. “But… still?” he asked. “Why?”

 

“I don't know all the answers, Shiro,” Lance said, and Shiro could tell he was just as desperate for them too. “I'm sorry.”

 

Shiro shook his head and straightened. “Don't be,” he said. “We'll just have to find out ourselves.”

 

Then, something went zipping by Shiro's head, right where he had just been keeled over. Shiro's eyes went wide as they shot to the hole the knife had created in the wall.

 

“I missed,” a deep voice grumbled a little ways away and all three of them turned to face it. The lions lowered their stances and growled. “But that won't happen again.”

 

The man was big, bulky, and recognizable with his eyepatch and cybernetic arm, much like Shiro’s but bigger and with bolts of energy that kept it all stuck together. They all knew who he was, a well known Galra in the city.

 

“Sendak,” Allura growled, positioning her staff in front of her. Sendak looked at her in surprise.

 

“I've never seen this one before,” he said, lip lifting in a disgusting way. “Run out of paladins for me to fight?”

 

“Blue,” Shiro said and he could tell Lance’s attention had shifted, despite keeping his body and face toward Sendak. “Go look for our target. We'll take care of Sendak.”

 

Lance only hesitated a moment before nodding. “I'm on it,” he said. “Blue, stay with them. Red, come with me.”

 

He didn't tell Black what to do, but he probably couldn't have in the first place. Despite being unable to feel his lion, Black stayed by Shiro’s side.

 

Sendak watched Lance go but didn't move. He must have known that his fight was here. Shiro and Allura would never let him pass.

 

Shiro decided to try taking him by surprise, pulling a Keith move as he liked to say. He jumped the guy, Galra tech arm aimed for his neck as he slammed him against the wall.

 

Sendak laughed, eyes still down the hall. He hadn't even flinched. " _ He's _ come for his soulmate," he growled, an odd glint in his eye as it shifted to consider Shiro pinning him. "Have you come for yours?"

 

Then, Shiro was thrown off and the fight began.

 

-/-

 

Keith had been locked in one of the Galra’s dark, dank cells since he had woken up from whatever sedative Lotor had injected into his system. He was still feeling a bit woozy from it. His eyelids were heavy and his limbs felt like jelly.

 

Worst of all, he couldn't feel even the faintest trace of Red.

 

He had known what the Galra were doing with those samples, he  _ knew _ what were in those test tubes he was always stealing for them. The thing was, as long as he was helpful to them, he hadn't thought they'd use it on  _ him. _

 

Apparently, there were more kinds of “helpful” than Keith had originally thought. Bait was pretty helpful too.

 

Keith was feeling antsy. His connection was broken, the bond with Red completely shriveled up. Not a single soul had come to his cell since he'd woken either, leaving him in the dark both metaphorically and physically. He had no idea what was happening in the outside world.

 

He hoped Lance didn't come for him. But that was a silly thought. Lance was too good for his  _ own _ good. It didn't matter who Keith was or what he did, Lance would save anyone in his shoes.

 

He had saved Shiro.

 

And  _ that _ was something, wasn't it? After all this time, Lance had been working for Voltron. He had been Blue. He had been the one to save his brother when all Keith could do was stand by as the Galra tortured him, tested on him. All Keith could do was keep Shiro alive by working for the Galra, but was that even worth it in the end?

 

Shiro had gotten out, but, after so much… was it worth it?

 

He would hate Keith. Keith had betrayed him, after all. He'd made such a stupid decision thinking he could get Shiro out of there all on his own.

 

Lance and the rest of Voltron had been the ones to save Shiro in the end; not Keith's lame ass. And, after that, Shiro had forgotten and Keith had  _ thought _ he was home free. He'd thought he could keep his secret forever. He'd thought, with Shiro out, safe, Keith could be too.

 

Keith had  _ thought _ many things. He'd still been dragged right back into the hell he'd dug himself into.

 

Now, it was possible he was doing the dragging. He would end up dragging Lance down just because Lance was too stubborn to let him go.

 

Not many people had put so much faith into Keith. Typically, they didn't stick around. It was a new weight on his shoulders that, in all these months, he still wasn't sure what to make of.

 

Keith looked down at his arm. He was in his suit and the cut in the forearm was already mended. Still, he could practically feel the words on his skin searing through. He could see them perfectly in his mind’s eye. 

 

All those years of waiting, believing whoever his soulmate was would turn out just the same as everyone else in his life; would eventually abandon him once they'd met him. All those years of hoping, letting Shiro plant the idea in his head that maybe having a soulmate wasn't so bad. And these last few months of grasping that reality, living the happy life of one in love with their other half.

 

He had the shade of blue memorized. He had those words ready on his tongue at any time and he'd whisper them to himself whenever he needed reassurance.

 

These days, he’d recall hearing those words, bumping into Lance that first day, anytime he felt down, useless and helpless. Anytime he needed it, those first words were there for him.

 

But Keith honestly should have seen this coming. Because things don't last. Because Shiro would hate him and Lance  _ did _ hate him. 

 

Lance had to hate him. If he didn't, he would come and fall right into Lotor’s trap.

 

“He's falling right into our trap,” Lotor sang, quite conveniently, as he swung the door open to Keith's cell. Keith scrambled up, eyes narrowing and hands still bound. He'd take Lotor on with just his feet if he had to.

 

“What do you mean?” Keith asked, unable to help himself. Lotor looked much too happy as he tilted his head in Keith's direction.

 

“Blue. He's come for you,” Lotor stated and Keith's heart sank in his chest.

 

“You're lying,” he gritted out between clenched teeth, but Lotor rolled his eyes.

 

“You see, this is always where you were wrong,  _ Keith _ ,” Lotor said, eyes locking onto him and smile drooping. “I never cared what  _ you _ had to say.”

 

“Great. Back at you,” Keith replied, but Lotor continued to give him this dead stare.

 

“You see, I don't have to prove Blue is here because I don't care if you believe me.” Then Lotor’s smile grew again and Keith felt a shiver go down his spine. “I care about real threats. Voltron. I care about the people who have been thwarting our plans for years.”

 

“You want a  _ real _ threat-” Keith started, blood boiling at the challenge, both to his confidence and to the threat on Shiro and Lance. Lotor, though, interrupted him.

 

“I want to take down Voltron, you see,” he continued as if Keith hadn't even said a thing. “And I want to see the fight drain from their eyes. I want them to watch their worlds burn. I want Voltron and every single one of its paladins to  _ suffer _ .”

 

Keith stayed quiet at this, his heart thudding louder. All he could think to himself was  _ I won't let that happen. _

 

He'd sooner die than let Lotor anywhere near the only two people in his life who mattered.

 

Then, Lotor stepped closer, eyes full of fire. Keith bit his tongue and glared right back.

 

“Think of when they finally find you,” Lotor said, another step forward. “And it's already too late.”

 

Keith's eyes widened just as Lotor bolted forward, landing on top of him and hands coming to wrap firmly around his throat.

 

Keith kicked, he thrashed, he tried to knock into Lotor's gut with his shackled hands, but Lotor had a tight grip. His knees stayed firmly planted on the floor on either side of Keith, who was now pinned. His hands were coming closer and closer together, cutting off all air from Keith’s lungs.

 

Tighter. Squeezing. Suffocating.

 

Keith was seeing spots. A fuzzy black color framed his vision.

 

“The life will leave their eyes just as yours is now,” Lotor announced, the words easy as Keith’s struggle lessened. “The Black Paladin will see his little brother, mangled, beaten, broken. Oh, I forgot to mention that, didn't I? Shirogane is here too.”

 

Fear spun around in Keith's head and, through the haze, he thought the end of the world had come.

 

Shiro couldn't be there. Keith had vowed never to let his brother set foot there again.

 

Keith struck out, landing a blow to Lotor’s stomach. It felt solid and it knocked a surprised air out of the man, but Keith knew it was still weak. It only proved to enrage Lotor more and he squeezed harder than ever.

 

“And the Blue Paladin,” Lotor’s voice was louder, eyes boring into Keith in anger. “His poor soulmate, the traitor, the liar, yet someone he'd still do anything for, lying dead on the floor of a Galra prison cell.”

 

Keith tried to gasp. He tried to take in air, any bit of it. Nothing came through. The black was narrowing his vision. Lotor started to smirk again.

 

“They will be the first two. I'm really looking forward to it. I mean, I've broken the Black Paladin before, but I've never had the chance with Blue. Should be fun.”

 

Lotor’s voice was swimming in his head. Keith wasn't even sure he was hearing it right anymore, his ears going so mute. His hands, cuffed as they were, were slackening in their awkward hold he had on Lotor.

 

“I really couldn't have done it without you. I'm self aware enough to realize it,” Lotor said, voice still easy, still so muffled in Keith's roaring ears. Keith could hear the ocean. The ocean reminded him of Lance.

 

“So, thank you, Keith,” were Lotor's last words before Keith's vision finally turned to black. He was losing sensation; he was going to die.

 

But all he could think of was the ocean and the story Lance had told him, about looking up at the stars next to his mother on the beach, never to come down again. Keith could see the stars now, pinhole marks of light in the otherwise complete darkness that had shaded his vision.

 

He was no longer struggling and he couldn't feel the pain. Lotor must have left because how else could Keith have felt so alone? He distinctly remembered that he wasn't breathing. Did that mean he was going to die alone?

 

No. He wouldn't be alone. He had the stars with him, and Lance was always with the stars. It's funny; Keith had rarely thought of the stars before Lance had come around. It had been such a spur of the moment decision to take them out that one time to look at them.

 

As Keith watched the stars, he noticed how very far away they were. He wanted to reach out, pull them closer. He didn't want to be alone, he didn't want to feel so alone, he didn't want to be alone while he died.

 

It was a scary thing, to die. Keith hadn't realized how much he'd enjoyed living until now. He hadn't realized how much he would be leaving behind, how much he would miss. And it tore at his heart to realize that some of the world might miss him too.

 

He had never been particularly close to his adoptive mother, but he was sure this would hurt her. She had lost Shiro for over a year and become quite protective over him for it. She was terrified of being alone too. That was something they had in common. She had him promise he would be extra careful going to live in Altea, and he'd given his word. He’d broken that word before he'd even made it.

 

And Shiro, he would be crushed. He'd always thought it his duty to protect his little brother, always look out for him. It had been a two way street of pain when Keith had found these headquarters for the first time and been made to do their bidding. It wasn't only Keith who had felt he'd failed his brother. Shiro would never recover from something like this and he already had so much else to recover from.

 

Then, there was Lance. Lance who had come for him after everything, who wanted to save him. Whatever the reason, whether he forgave him or still loved him or came because this was his duty as a paladin of Voltron, he would see this as a failure. He would never forgive himself over any life lost to the Galra because that was just the sort of man he was. Lance was good; he was far too good for Keith. Still, what Keith would give to have him there now. He wanted Lance next to him, to hold his hand.

 

Maybe it was for the best that Lance wasn't there to see him die, but Keith just didn't want to die alone.

 

Then, a great gust of air broke his windpipes and Keith’s eyes shot open, choking and gagging on the sudden foreign substance. Never did Keith think air could feel so strange in his lungs.

 

He was still lying on the floor, choking, gasping, trying to get the air in. It was difficult in this position. He still could barely see. Everything was fuzzy, his skin was buzzing.

 

Then, there was a hand on his back, another strange noise trying to infiltrate his ear drums. Keith couldn't hear, but now he could lean over to breathe on his side. Thank you whoever it was supporting him.

 

Keith's head was still swimming, but the darkness was easing up a lot faster than he thought possible. His cell swam in his eyes, the blue and white armor in front of him blurred.

 

Then, Keith's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he was out.

 

This time, there were no more stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To skip graphic violence, please stop at "Keith's eyes widened just as... " and on for the rest of the chapter.  
> Explanation: Lotor attempts to suffocate Keith. He wants to hurt the paladins by killing Keith. Keith is close to passing out when someone saves him, someone in blue and white armor. Then, Keith passes out.
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and, please, let me know if I can do better with tags or warnings! I want people to stay safe, so don't be shy. Thank you, all, and see you next time for the final chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter :)

The first thing Keith noticed when he came to, groggy as he may have been, was the fact that he couldn't move. The second thing he noticed was that he didn't care. Whoever’s arms were around him were warm; he felt safe.

 

_ Lance, _ his mind sang and he wanted to curl up to his soulmate. He hadn't heard his or Lance's alarms yet that morning. Was it his day off? Was it Lance’s? 

 

Keith sighed long and hard, content, but immediately came to regret this decision. All comfort fled when a burning sensation lit up his throat. His eyes shot open, hands coming up as far as their weakened state could take them. He couldn't get to the raw skin at his throat.

 

In a panic, he made the horrible decision of trying to talk and the pain flared up even more. His voice was nothing more than a warped sound; he was a fish out of water, and, for one agonizing moment, he thought he was dying again.

 

_ Air air air.  _ His brain chanted and, in his panic, Keith could not suck in a single lungfull.

 

“Calm down. Just calm down. Things will be okay,” a voice came and Keith clutched the hard plate of Lance's armor weakly. He blinked rapidly, looking up. “You can breathe,” Lance reassured, “But only if you calm down.”

 

Keith couldn't believe Lance could say it so simply. Breathing was not a simple task. Breathing, right then, was the hardest thing he'd ever done. It was terrifying, calming down when one couldn't breathe, but, shaking, Keith attempted to. 

 

Attempted to. He tried. He tried he tried but he still–he still couldn't–breathe he still couldn't–

 

He  _ squeezed _ Lance's hand, gripped the hard armor that was so close. He scanned his surroundings, focusing on other things–on anything that wasn't the fact that he couldn't–he couldn't–he couldn't  _ breathe _ –

 

Then. Then he figured it out, like catching a hurdling object flying past. And he started to pace himself. And he focused on the armor and the arms and the sound of breathing but  _ not _ the breathing. Not the breathing.

 

And air slipped in and out. He found a balance between hard inhales that hurt too much to work and shallow breaths that didn't give enough oxygen. He found the space in his lungs for the ‘just right.’

 

“That's it,” Lance murmured, bringing Keith closer and continuing his stride. It took Keith a moment to realize he was being carried, and that Lance was taking him along a corridor somewhere Keith didn't recognize.

 

The longer Keith looked around, the more he wanted to know where they were, where they were going. He had so many questions, but he knew better now than to ask.

 

His throat still hurt with every breath - it hurt even when Keith tried to hold it in, a terrifying thing that he didn't try again after that. His head was still spinning a little bit, but he looked around, trying to answer his own questions as best as he could.

 

It didn't work. The walls were white. There was no one else around, no signs to give him any hints. But, through this, Lance seemed to catch on.

 

“Voltron headquarters,” he explained and his voice was so soft that Keith wondered what was wrong. Had something happened?

 

He nodded in response and rested his head against Lance's chest again. It was all too much. Could he just go back to sleep?

 

With the pain and confusion, Keith was pretty sure it would be way too hard to slip back into blissful unconsciousness. He sighed, flinching again when his tender throat protested.

 

It wasn't long until they approached a door and Lance stalked right in. Keith hadn't noticed how fast Lance was going. Not sprinting, but definitely with purpose. Keith wondered again where they were going.

 

The room they stepped into was strange. So obviously high-tech, but Keith couldn't imagine what for. There were controls, lights, and standing coffin-like chambers. A man with a large ginger mustache was messing around with the controls until they came in.

 

He hurried up to them. “Lance, my boy, it is ready as soon as you get him into the suit.”

 

Lance nodded, holding Keith tighter. “Thanks, Coran.” 

 

The man, Coran apparently, looked down at him and Keith expected a grimace, a pursing of lips. Even if the man didn't know the whole story, Keith was so obviously wearing Red’s suit. Anyone could put the answer together.

 

But maybe the lack of oxygen had messed with Keith's head because all he saw from this Coran was worry, a thick layer of concern covering his features. Then, he looked back to Lance. “Do you know which button to start it up?”

 

“Yeah, I do,” Lance responded, nodding.

 

“Then I will leave you two,” Coran said and gave them both a nod before leaving. It was quiet in there when it was only him and Lance.

 

Then, Lance moved. “Let's get you changed.”

 

Keith made a confused sound, suppressing the shudder of pain it shot through him. Lance barely looked down, his focus on a folded suit across the room. He set Keith down on one of the benches before answering.

 

“You have to wear the suit to go into the healing pod. It'll fix you right up, don't worry.”

 

Having been put down, Keith was starting to feel woozy. He now had to hold his own weight up and he swayed a bit. Lance steadied him then proceeded to get him out of his ruined Galra suit. Keith hoped he never had to wear it again and almost cried at the thought.

 

“Hey, hey,” Lance said, catching on to Keith's sudden emotions. “What's wrong?”

 

“I-” Keith started, his voice catching. Lance immediately began shaking his head.

 

“Afterward. Tell me after the pod, okay?”

 

Keith nodded his head, unable to meet Lance's eyes. There was so much he wanted to say to him, so much he had to explain and apologize for. But, right now, he guiltily felt relieved he could put it off.

 

They silently got Keith into the suit and, by the time it was all zipped up, Keith was having the hardest time keeping his own head up. His eyes were half-lidded as he regarded the man in front of him.

 

“I-” he tried again, the word grating on his throat. Lance shook his head, protest on his lips, but Keith barreled through. He wanted to say it once, just once, before everything came down. Before he had to face everything he'd done.

 

His voice was that of a lifetime smoker, grating and hoarse. Because of this, he spoke softly; still, it caught in the loudest of places. It was painful to say and to hear. But Keith wouldn't let himself back down. He  _ had  _ to say it. He had to, he had to-

 

“I-” he choked again, a rogue tear leaking from one of his eyes. He shook his head as Lance spoke up again. “I love- you.”

 

Lance’s eyes lit up in surprise. Apparently, this had been the last thing he'd been expecting. Keith could understand. And he could understand if Lance never said it back. He just needed Lance to  _ know _ .

 

His eyes were becoming heavier and he rested his head against Lance's shoulder, sighing. He didn't care anymore that it hurt, that it flared red and purple and bright enough to feed a lifelong migraine. The world was starting to numb anyway.

 

“Keith,” Lance said and Keith hummed. Things were starting to swim again. Colors danced like a lava lamp, the room merging and warping. “I…”

 

But, whatever it was, Keith didn't hear it. Whatever it was that Lance was trying to tell him turned into a low mumble, his ears muting - softer, softer, silent.

 

Whatever Lance wanted to say - words that Keith wasn't even sure he wanted to hear - would have to wait, because Keith was again submerged in darkness.

 

-/-

 

“I know what he means to both of you, but we cannot trust him.”

 

“What?” Lance asked, outraged at Allura’s words. “But- we  _ know _ why he was working for the Galra! He was trying to get Shiro back!”

 

“And after that?” Allura asked, folding her hands on her desk. “He knew Shiro was safe, yet he still obeyed the Galra.”

 

At this, Lance’s voice got stuck in his throat. That- that Lance didn't really have an answer to.

 

“There has to be a reason,” he said, voice quieter. He met Allura's eyes desperately. “He'll explain everything once he gets out of the pod.”

 

“We shall see,” Allura said, unbudging, then turned between him and Shiro. “I really am sorry, but you both must understand. We  _ cannot _ trust the Galra.”

 

“And he isn't Galra!” Lance said, but Shiro stood.

 

“We understand, Allura. So we'll leave you until we can talk to Keith.” Shiro, too, looked upset by Allura’s words, but held his head up. “Come on, Lance.”

 

Lance was pushed out of the office, followed by Shiro who had to coax him away.

 

When they were a little ways away, Shiro stopped him and spoke. “You have to cool down, Lance.”

 

“ _ Me _ ?” he asked, throwing his hands up. “ _ She’s _ the one accusing Keith of things without any  _ proof _ !”

 

“ _ Lance _ ,” Shiro warned, voice stern while he leveled him with his gaze. “I’m concerned for Keith too.”

 

Lance’s mouth shut with a snap, a pang of regret reverberating throughout his chest. He looked at Shiro and did not speak a word, the back of his head still fuming but his mouth thankfully catching up a little.

 

“That's the thing,” Shiro continued. “Keith will be guilty until proven innocent with Allura, especially since he was affiliated with the Galra. So we just have to put our faith in getting the truth when he wakes up.”

 

Lance bit his lip, unable to argue with Shiro. He turned his head down the hall at the mention of Keith waking up. What if Keith had woken up while they were gone? Sure, Coran was there, but Lance knew firsthand how confusing and scary it could be stumbling out of those chambers. And who knew how much Keith would remember about where he was… or what they’d spoken of right before the pod.

 

_ I love- you. _

 

Keith had said he loved him.

 

“Lance,” Shiro's voice called to him, and Lance could tell it wasn't the first time. Lance turned back, looking bashful.

 

“Sorry, what?” he asked, and Shiro frowned.

 

“Go shower. I'll go check on Keith,” he said and Lance froze. He started thinking of excuses, reasons he should be there.

 

“But-”

 

“Lance, you've been by his pod for hours. You're not even out of your armor,” Shiro pointed out and Lance sighed.

 

“You're right,” Lance reluctantly admitted. Still… “But-”

 

Shiro put up a hand. “No.” Then he shoved him lightly away. “Go.”

 

“Fine, fine,” Lance said, hanging his head. “But I'll be back after my shower. And tell me if he's awake!”

 

“I will, I will,” Shiro answered, rolling his eyes. Lance turned to leave, but, before he went, stopped as a thought came to mind.

 

“Shiro?” he asked and Shiro hummed in response. “Are you okay? You know, after being back there?”

 

There was a pregnant pause, before, “At the Galra base?” Shiro asked, looking a little uncomfortable as he gazed off down the hallway. “Yeah. I- I remembered a bit. But, yeah, I'm okay.”

 

Lance nodded, regarding his friend carefully. “Okay,” he accepted easily, knowing by now to give Shiro some room. Then he turned and left.

 

He took a good, long shower, the hot water burning down his back and scorching off the day. Going through the motions - shampoo, conditioner, soap; rinse, lather, repeat - Lance’s mind wandered and he took a much longer time than he’d originally intended. He’d wanted to whisk through and jump out and get back to the medbay. He wanted to get back to Keith.

 

But, in some other part of his brain, in his complicated, confused emotions, he also didn’t.

 

Because what would Keith even tell him when he woke up?

 

Lance knew, somewhere inside him, that Keith had to have had a reason for all the things he did. Lance knew there had to be an explanation. But some part of him was still scared to find out.

 

Allura had said she didn't trust Keith and every fiber of Lance's being wanted to go against that. Still, there was the smallest, tiniest part of him that wondered… who could blame her?

 

Lance had never felt so betrayed in his life when he found out Red was Keith. When Keith ran away again and again instead of facing Lance and trusting him. Keith had lied to him. He'd stolen for the Galra. He'd tortured for them.

 

Lance's forehead rested against the cool tiles of the shower stall while he thought on this. He remembered not too long ago wondering how much could go wrong in one day, but it had all been connected. The day Lotor had distracted them, the day they'd found the mayor in the park, beaten and bloody, was the same day Keith had come home and broken down in his arms.

 

And that had been such a short time ago. It felt like a lifetime away.

 

What sort of excuse did Keith have for it all? How could the Galra have driven him all the way to  _ this _ ?

 

Lance turned the faucet off with a squeak and stepped out of the shower. After he dried off and wrapped the towel around himself, he looked in the mirror and took in his own tired face.

 

He didn't bother with his skin routine, exiting the bathroom in a daze. He was in one of the many guest rooms HQ had, the one Lance had claimed for himself years before for anytime he stayed over. It had his emergency supplies, extra clothes, toiletries, and anything else he may need for a given night away from his apartment.

 

Lance kept a variety of clothes there, but opted to wear sweatpants and a warm shirt. He needed a little comfort.

 

He took his time getting dressed, but it still wasn't enough. Once he was ready, he stood in front of the bedroom door for what felt like hours, contemplating what to do, where to go.

 

_ Keith _ . His mind insisted. The medbay was certainly the only place Lance wanted to be, his heart tugging him in the direction of its other half, but his feet wouldn't cooperate. 

 

What would await him there in the medbay? Would he see Keith, still unconscious, bruises a fading hue inside the pod? Or maybe Keith would be awake and waiting for him?

 

It was an effort to make the first move, take that first step, but, once he got going, Lance was practically sprinting down the halls. The thought of seeing Keith still haunted him, but he could no longer stay away.

 

Once Lance got to the medbay, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Coran must have been through there; he had a habit of never shutting doors completely.

 

The sight made Lance slow, just a little, so that he approached the door quietly. There was murmuring coming from inside. 

 

“How much do you remember?”

 

Lance froze.  _ Shit, that's Keith's voice. _

 

Relief flooded his system first. Keith was okay. Keith was alive and awake and okay.

 

Then dread took its place. Keith was  _ awake _ .

 

“It's hard to tell,” Shiro replied and Lance slunk further away from the door. He didn't want to get spotted, but, still… he didn't leave. “I remember a lot, but I don't know if I've gotten it all back yet.”

 

“But, do you remember…” Keith asked, voice trailing off.

 

“I remember the day you showed up there, yeah. I remember being frightened out of my mind; wondering how you had found the place.” Shiro sighed. “Sometimes I think you're too smart for your own good.”

 

“I wouldn't change it,” Keith said, resolutely. “I was able to protect you… well, a bit…”

 

“This,” Shiro said, pausing for a moment, “Isn't your fault. They would have found some other reason to do this even if you were perfectly obedient.”

 

“But it  _ did _ happen because of me, Shiro,” Keith said, voice angry. Lance knew that anger wasn't directed toward Shiro or even the Galra. “I hesitated and failed. And I thought I could outwit them, but I couldn't. And you suffered for it.”

 

_ But these nightmares… Keith is there. And the Galra have him. And he's pleading with them and I can't do anything to help. _

 

Lance shivered, remembering the words Shiro had said to him. Those weren't merely the words of a haunted man’s dreams. Those were Shiro’s memories. 

 

“You did the best you could, Keith, for what you were thrown into.”

 

There was a silence between them, stretched long and thin. Keith wasn't arguing, but Lance couldn't believe he had accepted his brother’s words that easily. He was being silent for Shiro’s benefit.

 

Lance was pretty sure Shiro must have known this too.

 

“You should have told me, you know,” Shiro said, breaking the delicate atmosphere. “When they got me out and I couldn't remember.”

 

Keith scoffed. “And brought all that shit back down on you?”

 

“So I could have helped,” Shiro said firmly. “You don't have to go through everything alone, Keith. How long have I been telling you that?”

 

“I think that's one of the first things you said to me,” Keith joked.

 

“I'm a worrier,” Shiro said, and Lance could imagine him shrugging then. “This secret could have gotten you killed.”

 

“But, look,” Keith insisted, “I'm alright.”

 

“No,” Shiro about cut him off. “You're not.” There was another beat of silence before Shiro sighed again and spoke. “You're  _ not _ , Keith. Have you looked at yourself? You're under all this pressure to help the ones you love, but you can't accept our help in return. How do you think I felt when I remembered all the shit you went through and realized you didn't even come to me for help? How do you think  _ Lance _ felt?”

 

“I didn't know-”

 

“You didn't know Lance was a paladin? Yeah, and he didn't know you were Red either. You didn't trust him, Keith. You didn't trust your own soulmate. You kept him in the dark, wondering what the hell must have been going on with you because you can't tell me you were all sunshine and rainbows the entire time you were working for the Galra. You can't tell me he never got a hint that something was wrong.”

 

“I'm  _ sorry _ , Shiro,” Keith croaked and there were tears in his voice. Lance's heart leapt into his throat.

 

“Keith…” Shiro said, and his voice was soft and tortured, seeing his brother in tears.

 

Keith sniffled but his tears didn't last for long. If there was one thing Keith was good at, it was holding in tears. He breathed slowly and Shiro did him the courtesy of letting him get himself together. Lance, on the other hand, wanted to bring his soulmate into the tightest hug and tell him to just let it all go. There was no reason to hold so much in.

 

Lance stayed out in the hallway, silent and listening. He wondered if he should go, give them the privacy they deserved, when more words sucked him back in.

 

“Have I ruined everything?” Keith's scratchy voice spoke up and Lance's hand reached up to touch the wall, as if he could phase through and go to Keith. All he wanted was to hold him and tell him that  _ no _ . No, he hadn't ruined anything. Lance still loved him and Shiro still loved him and they would figure out how to get past this.

 

“No,” Shiro said, mirroring Lance's thoughts. “Whatever needs to get fixed, we can fix.”

 

And, in the most vulnerable voice, Keith simply said, “Okay.” Keith sounded so young, so unsure, but so wanting to believe, that Lance  _ had _ to turn away then. He  _ had _ to leave.

 

So Lance left and tried not to think too much of what he'd overheard.

 

-/-

 

“How’re you holding up?”

 

Lance blinked at his friend through the computer monitor as if he had lost his mind. “How am  _ I  _ holding up?”

 

Hunk tilted his head. “Well, yeah. After all that's been going on…”

 

“I think I'm the last person you should be worried about,” Lance said, waving a hand in front of the screen. “ _ Keith _ was nearly strangled to death.  _ Shiro _ is remembering all that horrible shit from the Galra base. Even Allura is stressed out of her mind, dealing with all the commotion this has stirred up.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” Hunk agreed easily, “But that doesn't leave out you. You've gone through a lot these past few days too.”

 

“I'm fine,” Lance said. “Really.”

 

Hunk looked at him with a skeptical eye, but backed off. “Okay, man. But, if you need to talk…”

 

“About what?” Lance laughed a little, though it did not come with any sort of humor. “The part where my soulmate is the guy I've been fighting for the past six months or the part where he almost  _ died in my arms _ ?”

 

Okay, so maybe Lance wasn't completely alright. And maybe he shouldn't have said that.

 

“Yep, either one will do. Let's talk,” Hunk said, and, going by his tone of voice, Lance knew he wouldn't be getting out of this one. Damn, he'd been so close; why'd he have to mess it up for himself?

 

Lance sighed, propping his arm on the desk in front of him. He brought his face down into his hand, rubbing the anxiety in. “I don't know, Hunk.  _ I don't know. _ What do I even say? He lied to me, betrayed me, yet I can't even stay mad at him because I'm just so relieved he's alive. And I just want to be there for him right now because I know he's in pain too, but I  _ can't _ . I can't bring myself to approach him yet.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“And I don't know if I'm ready to hear what he has to say.” Lance continued, picking his head up and waving around animatedly. “I trust him. It's weird, after all the shit that's happened, but I finally trust him. But I’m still scared to hear his explanation. Because, what if it really isn't enough? What if I trust him like I did when I was going to tell him who I was, or when I trusted him not to run away, and it's all snatched away again?” 

 

Lance took a breath, but didn't pause for long. He was on a roll.

 

“That's not it either. Because- because- even after this all, I know he still doesn't trust  _ me _ . He wouldn't have run away if he trusted me. He would have let me help. And, what if, in all this time, I look back and realize I could have figured it out sooner; I could have looked a little deeper and seen how much Keith really needed my help? And I'd done nothing. I didn't pause and consider it and that could have cost Keith so much. What if I never realized it was him? How much farther would Keith have gone? How much more shit would the Galra have put him through because I couldn't open my eyes and seen something was wrong?”

 

Lance took another breath, this one a steadying sort of action, and looked down.

 

“But I knew something was wrong. I  _ knew _ . And I didn't do anything about it until it was too late.” Lance thought back to the fight they had had that morning - the day Lance had seen Red’s soulmark and figured it all out. By then, Keith had already been in so deep. 

 

Why couldn't Lance have asked what was wrong when Keith came home late, so obviously hiding that something was the matter? Why couldn't Lance have asked after those look of disgust and resignation when Keith got those random texts, ones he always wrote off as work even in the dead of night? Why couldn't Lance have tried harder when the nightmares started or when Keith was obviously absent, even while sitting right next to him?

 

“You said you finally trust him, right, Lance?” Hunk asked and Lance nodded his head mutely. “Why didn't you trust him before? Why did you keep secrets?”

 

Lance looked up, gaping at his friend. “I wanted to keep him safe! You know how dangerous it is giving out our secret identities like that!”

 

“And so, don't you think he might have been trying to keep you safe too?”

 

Lance blinked. “Keep  _ me _ safe? Why would he need to do that?”

 

“Well, before you told him, he didn't know you were a paladin, right? Civilians are a bit vulnerable to an enemy like the Galra, don't you think?” Hunk pointed out and Lance swallowed around his realization.

 

“Oh.”

 

“And, Lance?” Hunk asked, to which Lance hummed, troubled. “Don't beat yourself up on the stuff that  _ could _ have happened. What's done is done. Now, you need to think toward the future.”

 

Lance nodded, head full of thoughts. “Yeah.”

 

_ I can't change the past. I can't worry about the future either. I need to do what I can to bring myself there. I need to talk to Keith. _

 

“You're right, buddy. Thanks,” Lance said, and he was already pushing away from the desk. 

 

Hunk was looking up at him. “Are you going now?”

 

“No time to lose,” Lance grinned and reached for his mouse.

 

“Go get him!” Hunk encouraged and Lance sent a grateful smile his friend’s way.

 

“Thanks, Hunk,” he said.

 

“No problem.”

 

Then, Lance clicked out of the call and turned off the computer, ducking out of the room and speeding off with a purpose.

 

-/-

 

Keith wasn't in the medbay anymore, which made sense now that Lance thought about it. He'd gotten better, so what was the point in hanging around?

 

Still, that thought did nothing to stem Lance's anxiety. Now he was wondering if Keith was even still at HQ at all.

 

Shiro wouldn't have let him go, Lance had to reassure himself. He'd know where he was.

 

So that's where Lance went. Shiro, though, was not in his room. Shiro  _ was _ in the kitchen though, making microwavable Mac n’ Cheese, by the looks of it.

 

“Have you seen Keith?” he asked immediately, cutting to the chase. Shiro burned himself on the Mac n’ Cheese and flinched, popping his finger in his mouth when he turned to Lance.

 

“Yeah?” he said around the obstruction.

 

“And?” Lance asked insistently. Shiro took the finger out of his mouth and stirred the macaroni as if it hadn't just personally attacked him. Lance would have had things to say about it if he wasn't in such a hurry.

 

“I could tell he was anxious, so I showed him to the training area. He’s always liked having an outlet for blowing off steam.” Shiro shrugged. Lance was bouncing on the balls of his feet and followed the man to the table.

 

“Which training area?” he asked, trying and probably failing to sound patient.

 

“B,” Shiro said easily and Lance spun immediately for the door. He was surprised Shiro let him go without another word. Maybe he did trust him with his baby brother.

 

Lance grinned at the thought and continued his trek along the halls, coming to a stop in front of a door with a large B painted in the middle. It had a split down the center where the door separated and Lance stared down that crease for way too long before he finally said, “Screw it,” and punched the button to go in.

 

Keith was, in fact, training. And training hard. It couldn't have been but his first time working with the equipment, but he was already a natural. He sliced through the droids that came after him with ease, using only that knife Red had always had on him. The knife Keith's mom gave to him, apparently.

 

There was sweat on his brow and a concentrated look on his face. The fluidity and strength behind his moves striked Lance as very Red, and, without the suit, it was easy to match the two up with each other.

 

Lance had no more doubts that Keith was Red and Red was Keith, but, if he did, this would have fixed it right up.

 

Keith knew he was there, it was obvious in the way his eyes kept darting toward the door, but he didn't stop. And Lance didn't make him. Not until he'd sliced through the last of the droids.

 

After his training level was over, Lance whistled and started to clap, earning an embarrassed flush over Keith's already flushed cheeks. Keith turned around to face him, hair disheveled and sticking out of its ponytail, breaths panting, and in sweatpants and a tank top that didn't appear to be his own. Probably borrowed from Shiro, going by how baggy they looked on him.

 

“Alfor’s tech is pretty cool, isn't it?” Lance asked, only to receive a confused expression from his soulmate. “Alfor was Allura’s dad. He made those droids you were fighting, as well as a bunch of other stuff in HQ.”

 

“Oh,” Keith said, but didn't commit to any other words. Instead, he nodded, looking around the room in appreciation. Then, his gaze was back on Lance. “It's time to talk, isn't it?” he asked and, just like that day they'd had that big fight, he sounded as if he were awaiting his death warrant. Like he was approaching the end of his days.

 

“If you're cool with it,” Lance said, shrugging. Keith bit the inside of his cheek, supposedly thinking about it, before nodding. He walked over to a bench on the other side of the room and took a swig from his water bottle. Lance smiled, picturing Keith right at home here.

 

Then, he followed Keith over and sat next to him, trying to relax, but, really, how could either of them?

 

There was a silence in which they both seemed to consider their words. Finally, Lance got himself together and sat up. He was ready. He was going to say it. Because there was only one thing he could say at that moment.

 

_ “ _ I love you,” Lance said.

 

At the very same time, Keith said, “I'm sorry.”

 

They both went still, shocked. Keith came out of it quicker, Lance’s brows only just coming down in disbelief when Keith shook his head, looking down at his own lap.

 

“I don't deserve that.”

 

Lance's eyes widened, back straightening. He would not take that, of all things, for an answer. No way. No way in hell. “If I said it, you deserve i,” he said, leaving no room for argument.

 

Keith looked up, eyes wary. “Are you saying that just because I did?”

 

“I'm saying it because I mean it,” Lance said, a little caught off guard by the words automatically coming out. He meant them, though. “Even after everything, I love you, Keith Kogane.”

 

There was silence, as one could expect after something like that. Keith wouldn't meet his eyes. Like that day on the roof, Lance just wanted to see those eyes.

 

Lance reached up to cup Keith's cheek and guided his face toward him. Keith followed, and then, his eyes were directed at Lance. Keith breathed out, not looking away, and murmured, “I suppose you want the truth then.”

 

Lance nodded and Keith pulled away. Lance almost regretted it, but his curiosity wouldn’t let him completely. He wanted answers and that look in Keith’s eye told him he would not accept Lance’s confession until he’d given them. Lance would have to listen.

 

“I guess I'll start at the beginning,” Keith said. “Six months ago.”

 

So Lance weaved a hand around Keith’s and listened.

 

“I was looking for Shiro. He'd already been gone for three months by then and I'd pretty much put everything off to find him. I dropped out of school and left town. And I followed leads until I came to Altea.”

 

“That's when I got to the Galra’s base. It wasn’t easy to find and I didn't know what it was, just that there was the possibility of more leads there, so I broke in and took a look around. Things probably would have gone a lot different if I had found Shiro first. Instead, I found Red.”

 

“I felt him in my mind. It was… surreal. Then, a bunch of guards came into the room behind me, and Red protected me from them. That's when they must have changed their minds about me. They took special notice, realizing I had bonded with Red… and that they could use me.”

 

“They eventually dragged me away from Red and took me to Shiro. It was such a relief to see him. Alive. His hair was greying and he had a nasty scar in his face, but he was alright. He sure as hell didn't like the fact that I was there, but I didn't care. I had finally found him.”

 

“Then, they dragged me away from him and put me in my own cell. I thought I would end up imprisoned there, just like Shiro. Instead, they offered a way out. And, more importantly, a way to get Shiro out too. I was an idiot for believing them, but I did what they said.”

 

“I moved to Altea and started doing whatever they asked. You know that part. If I did enough, they'd let us both go. Except, that was a big fat lie. And, when I confronted them about it, they- they hurt Shiro for it. I realized then that that was our true agreement. Not ‘do as we ask and we'll let you go,’ but, ‘stay in line or your brother pays for it.’”

 

“The message was well received. That was the day they dragged Shiro off to experiment on his arm. And they made me listen to-” Keith swallowed, eyes far away and haunted. “To his screams, when they cut it off.”

 

“Keith-” Lance whispered, reaching toward his soulmate. Keith shook his head though.

 

“If I don't get this out, I might never come back to it.”

 

So Lance swallowed and allowed Keith to continue.

 

“I was stealing all those serums for them and I figured out what they were used for. With a bit of tinkering, you can inject it into someone to sever their bonds. Soulbonds or, more importantly to them, the bonds between paladins and lions. It was how they'd ended up capturing Shiro in the first place, and kept Red under wraps for all these years. It's not perfect. The doses don't last long, but it's enough. And they're working to improve them.”

 

“Is that why Red couldn't sense you in the base? They used the same stuff on you?”

 

Keith nodded, rubbing his neck. “And it still hasn't worn off,” he said, voice troubled. Lance frowned, but Keith shook his head. “It will, though. None of their doses have been permanent so far.”

 

Lance wondered if he could tell. It worked on Soulbonds too, right? So, what sort of effects revolved around that?

 

“So, it went on for a while. As you know. But then, Shiro was back and, miraculously, the Galra no longer had anything over my head. So I never went back. I sure as hell didn't straight up tell them 'I quit.’ I knew what could happen if I got too close again.”

 

“And, being with you, moving in with you and having a normal life, it was some of the best times of my life. I'm not kidding.  _ Of my life. _ I had never had something so perfect. And Shiro didn't remember, which was good for his own health, but also a blessing for keeping my own secrets. I didn't have to worry about what you might think because I could leave it all behind me.”

 

“But things can't stay so perfect for long, you know?” Keith said and Lance nodded. He knew. “I got a text from  _ Lotor _ . Asshole. I wanted to punch him in the jaw everyday. One of my biggest regrets, I'd say, is never doing it.”

 

Lance sniggered and Keith looked over with a small smile. Then, his shoulders sagged again and he looked away. He took his hand back. “The text was pretty simple. It said 'I hoped you liked your vacation because it's time to come back.’ And it had a picture attached. It was of you.”

 

At this, Lance's blood ran cold. He tried to peek over at Keith, figure out just what he meant by 'It was of you’ but Keith’ bangs hid his eyes.

 

“You were wearing your apron behind the counter at that cafe you work at,” Keith explained. “And you had on such a carefree smile, handing some guy his drink. And the thought of someone…  _ there _ . Who could take a picture outside that window and you have no idea. No idea you were in danger. There was no question. I met with Lotor and I was back in business.”

 

Keith had gone back… because of  _ him _ ?

 

“I did minor things for them at first. They didn't trust me to do the big things yet. I still deserted, so I had to prove I was 'loyal.’ And that's where the mayor came in.” 

 

“Keith, you don't have to…”

 

But Keith shook his head again and continued. “I'll leave out the details. The interrogation wasn't even  _ important _ to the Galra. They just wanted to see how far I would go.”

 

Keith shook his head, hands clenched in his lap. Lance wanted to reach over, unclasp one of them and slip his own hand between. He wanted to be there to reassure him, comfort him. But he couldn't.

 

_ I'm the reason Keith went back. I'm the reason he went so far. _

 

“And I guess you know the rest. I was just on another run when we had that fight where I lost my knife.” Keith's hand migrated to the bench beside him, where his knife rested. “Thanks, by the way, for returning it.”

 

“Shiro said it was your mother’s,” Lance said and Keith looked up.

 

“Yeah,” he rubbed at the hilt, “Yeah, it was.”

 

“How come you've never shown it to me before? Is it really that personal?” Lance asked and wrinkled his nose at the way he'd worded it. Of course it was  _ personal _ . It was from Keith's  _ mom _ .

 

“Well, I mean, yeah. But no?” Keith said and Lance looked at him questioningly. “There were pictures in the paper, you know, of Red. And I was afraid one of them might have the knife or something. I didn't really mean to make it into a secret.”

 

“That's alright, babe,” Lance said and leaned closer. “Wanna show me now?”

 

“You want me,” Keith asked, humor and skepticism heavy on his tongue, “To show you my mother’s knife like this is some show and tell project?”

 

Lance laughed. “You know, I can imagine little Keith doing that. Bringing a knife into school like it's the most normal thing in the world.”

 

“Did Shiro tell you about that?” Keith asked, affronted. “I told him that in confidence!”

 

“What?” Lance exclaimed, ready to bend over in laughter whether it was really true or not. “You  _ did not. _ ”

 

“I did,” Keith reluctantly admitted, the tips of his ears turning pink. Lance clutched his stomach and laughed his very heart out. Meanwhile, he heard faint chuckling from Keith too.

 

“You asshole. That's what I get for being soulmates with an absolute asshole,” Keith said and Lance sat up fast enough to take Keith off guard. He swept him right into a hug, planting a huge kiss on his cheek.

 

“What happened? Tell me everything. How old was little Keith when he brought a  _ huge ass hunting knife _ to school?” Lance teased, lips still feathering over Keith's cheek. Keith breathed out a short laugh.

 

“If you really want to know, they took the knife from me and I had to steal it back before I was shipped off to my next home. I was nine when I broke into the school to get it back. And it  _ worked _ .”

 

Lance gasped and sat back. “You're shitting me,” he said, but Keith shook his head, a smug look on his face. “ _ Shit _ , Keith. You went hard even as a fucking toddler.”

 

“I was not a toddler,” Keith objected and Lance nodded his head in sage agreement.

 

“You're right. You were a fetus.”

 

They both broke into laughter, Lance ducking down into the dip of Keith's shoulder and Keith leaning his head against Lance's. Somehow, their hands slipped together, like two pieces of a puzzle.

 

When they had calmed down, Keith brought the knife closer so Lance could see. Lance had already examined its every detail the day he had given it back to Keith, but that didn't stop him from looking at it now in a cherishing sort of way. This was Keith showing him a little piece of himself, a piece that had helped to construct his very foundations. This was Keith trusting him with something special to him.

 

This was Keith trusting him.

 

“I'm sorry,” Keith breathed then, not the first time he had said it that day. “For everything. For making you worry, for keeping secrets, for not trusting you.”

 

Lance still had his head to Keith’s shoulder and he could count his breaths. He watched their hands, comfortably twined together on Keith's lap, Keith setting his dagger aside.

 

“I'm sorry too,” he said. “I kept just as many secrets and… I should have seen sooner that something was wrong. It shouldn't have come to having your soulmark in my face to realize it.”

 

“So it was the rip,” Keith said, looking down at his arm, envisioning the tear from that day. “I had wondered.”

 

“Yep,” Lance said, nodding a little into Keith. “Quite a shock, I assure you.”

 

“I can imagine. I didn't even notice something was off. I was a bit… distracted that day,” Keith said and he didn't have to specify anymore for Lance to get it. The way Keith had looked at his knife, gleaming with blood, how he'd left such an important possession behind.

 

Lance lifted his head, looking Keith in the eyes. Purple. Dark, dark, everything and more that he’d seen on that first day. They were troubled, wary, and Lance breathed out while watching them.

 

“And I still stand by what I said,” Lance said. Keith’s brows furrowed. “I love you.”

 

Keith’s breath caught and Lance was so close he could hear it. He leaned forward and kissed him, short but pouring the essence of truth that belonged in those words. When they pulled apart Lance asked, voice quiet, “So… now what?”

 

“I don't know,” Keith said and they both sat together, thinking on this. Eventually, Lance shrugged and pulled back.

 

“Let's go,” he said, standing up and pulling Keith along with him.

 

“Where are we going?” Keith asked, sounding confused, but complying. He followed along as Lance tugged them away from the training room.

 

“Well, first, we're going to get you a shower and clean clothes. You reek, dude,” Lance said and grinned at the offended noise from behind him. “Then, we can decide from there. Because we don't need to know every step of the way.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Keith asked, curious, and Lance turned to him.

 

“I'm saying that, from here on, things aren't going to be easy. We infiltrated their main base, but the Galra are far from defeated. They know both of our identities now too. The odds are stacked against us and we're going to have a rough time finding a way out,” Lance said, eyes steady and serious. “But, we're together and we have the team and our lions. And that's just going to have to be enough.”

 

Keith's eyebrows furrowed, regarding Lance, before he nodded. “It will be,” he said, and squeezed Lance's hand.

 

So Lance smiled and continued to pull his soulmate along, humming and looking behind him to see Keith rolling his eyes at him again, that damn smirk on his lips. Lance chuckled evilly and sent a look of warning back before racing off down the hall, a startled Keith tripping over his legs in order to keep up.

 

By the time they stopped, they were both out of breath and had outrun every last one of their troubles, if only for the day.

 

-/-

 

“Thanks for meeting with me, guys,” Shiro said from his side of the table. He was looking around at the people surrounding him, four others at the table and two on large screens on the wall. 

 

Lance was holding Keith's hand under the table, giving it a small squeeze when he noticed Allura bite her lip when she looked in Keith's direction. She hadn't said anything when he came in and, though Lance still didn't appreciate her untrusting attitude toward Keith, he got it and knew she'd figure things out eventually.

 

“What's so important you needed us all here?” Pidge asked from their monitor and Shiro regarded them worryingly before answering.

 

“Well, for one, this will be our first meeting after infiltrating the Galra base. It is important we go over what occurred and sight places where better judgement could have been made.” Lance didn't miss Shiro’s look in his direction at this and shrugged. Yeah, going in blind like that hadn't been his best move. But he'd do it again.

 

“For another, I have some… news. It pertains to some information I learned from being in the base. I remembered a lot while there,” Shiro said and Keith flinched. “Pidge, this is especially important for you.”

 

Pidge was up straight, leaning into their screen immediately, glasses reflecting the light so badly that it blocked any way of seeing their eyes. “Important for me?” they asked. “Is it about Matt?”

 

Shiro pursed his lips, then nodded, clearly conflicted. “Yes, it is about your brother.”

 

And, surprisingly, Pidge went quiet at this, leaning back just a bit to watch Shiro. They were waiting, probably holding their breath, for any news. The rest of them were too. The search for Matt Holt had become such an ingrained part of their lives.

 

“I met him. While at the base. He was one of the other prisoners,” Shiro said and Pidge’s gasp was the loudest one in the room. “I- I don't know what happened to him. Or where they took him. I really don't have any good information on the subject, actually.”

 

Lance could see Pidge deflating already, but they shook their head, leaning forward again. “But, did you talk to him? What did he say?”

 

Shiro nodded and looked down, finding particular interest in his shoes now. “Yeah, I talked to him. I said: 'You’re Matt Holt.’” 

 

“What,” Pidge said and Lance looked up at them. Something was dancing in their eyes, something akin to realization... and horror.

 

“And, he just sort of mumbled: 'That’s the name; don't wear it out.’ Like he wasn't in a  _ Galra prison _ .”

 

That was when Keith gasped too. Lance looked at him, still utterly confused. He looked around the room, noticing the many befuddled looks of his team, only Pidge and Keith apparently having figured whatever this was out.

 

Until Shiro spoke again.

 

“And he looked down at his arm and I looked down at my arm. And we didn't really know where to go from there. Because what does one do when they've found their soulmate in a place like that?” 

 

Shiro sighed, closing his eyes for a moment to collect himself. Then, he looked up, right back to Pidge.

 

“Sorry, Pidge. This probably isn't the most useful information, but it's pretty much all I have.”

 

“That’s fine,” Pidge said. “Because this is still something and we can do a lot more with something than with nothing.” And then Pidge looked right at Lance and smiled. Oddly touched, by Pidge of all people, Lance didn’t know what to say. Maybe it’d be best to not say anything at all.

 

“We’ll need everyone’s help in the months to come fending off the Galra,” Shiro then spoke up again. “We’ve got a lot on our plate, even with the take down of their main base. There’s going to be a lot of criminal activity running rampant. Believe it or not, the Galra actually regulated much of it and now it will be more or less chaos out there.” Shiro looked at them all in turn, physical and screen presence alike. “Keith, you too.”

 

Lance glanced over to find a look of surprise on Keith’s face and he squeezed his hand. Lance looked around the table where everyone’s eyes were on Keith, varying emotions across the board. In the end, Keith nodded.

 

“Of course,” he said and turned his head from the piercing stares.

 

“Alright, Team Voltron,” Shiro said, “Let’s do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So, how about that ending, right? All the loose ends are totally tied up; I don't know what you're talking about...
> 
> Alright, obviously there is much that can be expanded upon for this story, things with how everyone will manage Keith being an official paladin of Voltron, things with Matt, things with Keith's and Lance's relationship. They are still figuring out how to trust each other, how to get past this all in a way that helps them both grow and understand one another. They are human, after all, and these things take time. Time the ending of this fic did not give them.
> 
> That being said! It's still very up in the air whether this will have a sequel. I may have plenty to work with and plenty of ideas, but I've been at an impasse trying to actually write any of it. Even so, I also still feel like this fic is in and of itself Complete. I'm sorry questions are left unanswered, but I never intended to be able to answer them all. I've completed my main objectives of this fic and I'm quite happy with it. Hope you guys are too :)
> 
> So, on from that, I'd like to say one last Thank You to you all for being such great readers and motivators throughout this fic! This story was such a fun experience to write and share and I take pride that you guys seemed to like it alright. A special thank you to @asteralis for going back to leave essay long comments on each chapter?! You are the true mvp, my friend, and I swear I'm going to respond to them (along with other comments I haven't responded to; sorry!!).
> 
> I have one last request, if you guys will, and that is to let me know one thing you really liked and one thing not so much. I'm always looking to improve and knowing my strengths and weaknesses helps tremendously! I hope to see you again and thank you so much for everything, guys!


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